Natural Feral Behaviors
by Canucklehead Cowgirl
Summary: Book 2 of the 906 Continuation of 'Surprise For A Feral'. Picks up literally where that one left off. Follows Logan and K through their new, sometimes confusing life together and the troubles that integrating their worlds bring. UNDERGOING EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE
1. Mission Positions

Logan and K were cozied up tightly in bed, his arm was around her, resting on her stomach as she leaned her head on his chest, reveling in his scent. They were, at the moment, perfectly relaxed and content. They'd spent the last three days since their nuptials in an intense state of mutual worship.

Most of the time they were at least simply touching each other, more often than not, it was a matter of where they were making love. They'd found lots of picturesque places in the area around the cabin where they would walk that would suddenly become the perfect place to pleasure each other.

To say that Logan was uneasy about the upcoming missions was a massive understatement, but he tried to put it from his mind and simply tried to soak up every second with her. He made a point to fill every moment he could with an expression of his passion for her. For the whole short span of time, neither put the other off for anything. It was three days of both getting and giving everything to the other.

Truth be told, he couldn't ever remember being so content or so terribly worn out. They'd just gotten done making love for what they were sure was the last time for at least a week, as they'd been told when they'd heard the SHIELD mini jet fly overhead, presumably to land in a nearby clearing. They shared a look and with a wicked smirk, they took advantage and jumped into bed just to squeeze in one more round.

She frowned and hugged him tightly when the knock echoed on the door. It was pretty clear that he didn't want to move either, so why the hell couldn't they just stay in the cabin again? Right. Superhero business. Damnit. He ignored the knock on the door and rolled on top of her, kissing her again as the knocker let themselves in.

…...

Fury had warned him that Logan may just ignore any call to action until the very last minute, and to just go in. Bite the bullet. But that simply hadn't prepared him.

"Wolverine?" Cap's voice echoed through the cabin. "I hate to break it up, but you're going to have to get dressed." He heard no response, so he let out a deep breath and he plucked up the nerve to open the door to Logan's room. No surprise there that he quickly realized that was a mistake.

He quickly closed the door and shook his head when he caught a glimpse of them tangled up again. He left the cabin and decided to pull out the uniform from the mini jet for his old friend. He convinced himself that it wouldn't hurt to bring the required clothing that they had gotten for K either.

When he returned nearly an hour later, he could hear the pair talking. Having learned his lesson from earlier, he knocked before he opened the bedroom door just a crack and Cap tried desperately to not look in the direction of the little couple.

"Logan, I brought your uniform, and something for K. I was going to let you change on the flight, but since I'm going to assume that you're not dressed yet," he left the statement hanging as he tossed the clothes on the floor next to them before again closing the door and waiting for them in the living room.

K smiled sadly at him as he stood up and started to pull on his uniform.

She sat up and picked up the garment bag meant for her. Inside she found a Chanel dress in her size with a pair of matching high heels. She looked up at him a moment before she slipped the ensemble over the fancy la perla lingerie set that was also in the bag.

Logan watched her dress, not sure if he should frown or leer before he stepped in to zip her up – any excuse to touch her. She brushed her hair quickly and tamed it a bit then took his hand. She looked a bit nervous as she led the way towards Cap, whose mouth was dropped open when he saw her. The dress would have been too short on a taller woman, but for her little stature it simply accentuated her surprisingly long legs. She looked fantastic.

"Wow," Cap whispered as he openly stared at her. Logan slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close as she leaned into him.

"I know you ain't talking to me, Cap, so you better watch yourself," Logan growled as K turned to him and kissed his jawline. The gesture made him turn to her and start up yet another kiss.

"Sorry, I just – I thought you were a blue jeans kind of girl," Cap explained, amazed that she seemed just as comfortable in couture.

"I am. But this is what you gave me so, I'm assuming this is the kind of thing Tony's girls wear?" she asked, as she looked down at the expensive fabric. Cap just nodded. "I hate this shit," she growled, earning a smile from her new husband.

"I'd be happy to cut it off ya," he teased.

"Alright, lovebirds, let's get you two on your missions. Details are in the jet," Cap said a little stiffly. It was clear that he was still irritated that they'd had to wait this long to get started.

On the jet, K kept her legs crossed like a lady. Logan's eyes continued to slip over them, little flashbacks popping into his head from the past few days. He was expected to lead the frontal assault with Cap that had prepared itself for immediate deployment from a SHIELD drop in western Europe. He read it quickly, memorized the maps and was ready to go. And since he was done with the critical tactical stuff … he decided it was a good time to memorize her legs.

K had read her file quickly then gone back and read it again twice more. She'd set it down on her lap, and nervously looked at her hands.

"I don't think I can do this," she said quietly. "there has to be another way."

"You'll be fine, K. Just pretend you don't want to stab him," Cap tried at a joke without knowing the context of which she was speaking.

"No, that's not it," she said nervously. "I can't cozy up to him like that. I couldn't let him touch me without wanting to tear his arm off and beat him half to death with it _before_ I was spoken for." Logan smiled. Maybe she wouldn't be going on this stupid mission anyhow and he could relax.

"So act," Cap said flatly. She stared at the back of his head with a sudden intensity. Her claws slid out silently, and subconsciously as she glared a hole in the back of Cap's head. Logan watched for a moment then quickly grabbed her hand.

"Sweetheart, no," he said, rubbing his thumb on hers. "You can't kill Cap." She blinked a moment, apparently pushing the fog from her head as Cap turned around. He glanced at her claws then straightened out and turned back around at Logan's nod. Logan slipped out of his seat and kissed her behind the ear, then nuzzled her neck, in an effort to make her lean into him and relaxed.

"I know it's wrong, but you gotta do it, darlin'. Just don't let him pull anything. It'll be fine as long as it's PG," he whispered. "Never again afterward, and I give you my blessings to kick his ass when this is over," Logan promised, as he whispered kisses on her neck.

"Just a week, right?" K asked as he continued. He murmered a _Mmm hmm_ while licking his way down to her collarbone. She twisted her head down and nibbled on his ear as Cap took the plane down. Before they knew it, they landed on top of the tower. But, before they exited Cap turned to them both.

"Alright you two. You can't show any affection from here on out. There is Hydra infiltration in our organization so do yourselves a favor. You are strangers, got it?" K frowned but nodded along with Logan. Before the hatch opened Logan stole one last kiss.

"For luck," he grinned before giving her a little wink. She smirked at him as the hatch opened. It was something else to watch him as he slapped on his game face. K took a deep breath and decided to try to take it a step further and attempt to _avoid_ Logan.

His reputation was well known after all, so maybe she could exploit it a little. Cap led the way out of the mini jet, Logan second, with K following at a little distance. Logan offered his hand to her as she went down the steps. At the bottom, she snatched her hand back. He squinted at her then he chuckled to himself as he realized what her game was. It was so far from her natural reaction to him it seemed to him ridiculous.

In the elevator with two upper level agents, Logan leaned in on her to flirt – just to give her a hard time. See how committed she was to her little ruse.

She tried very hard to deny her instincts, and he knew it. He slipped his hand over and gave her a pinch. She jumped and slapped him hard, surprising the hell out of him. She was doing her level best to come off as furious and not smile, though the look on his face was absolutely priceless. Cap gave him a warning look and to her relief, Logan simply chuckled and continued on his business. To the discomfort of most of the others in the elevator, he lit a cigar before the door opened on the proper floor. When the elevator emptied, Logan gestured grandly for her to go ahead. She skittered past him and followed Cap closely until Tony came out, arms wide before he pulled her into a familiar hug, and kissed her on the cheek. She returned the gesture, unable to stop herself from looking at Logan as she did so.

"What's wrong, sweetie, he insult you?" Stark asked her. The sound of it coming from his mouth and directed at her made Logan bite back a growl. She shook her head.

"Hardly," K said, though she stiffened up when Stark slipped his hand around her waist and led her away from the low growling Wolverine. Pepper gave them an appraising glare as Tony gestured for K to join her. They bantered for a bit then the men all left the two women alone as they discussed Avengers business.

"So, you're the new 'girl'," Pepper said brusquely as the two women studied each other. K didn't know if Pepper knew the plan or not, so she played along until Pepper finally smiled and handed her a long jewelry box.

"I know what the cover is, and it will work, I'm sure," Pepper whispered. "But you guys forgot something kind of important though." She pointed to the box, and waited for her to open it. K frowned but gingerly cracked open the little blue box. She wrinkled her brow when she saw the contents. A long gold chain rested in it. K looked at her in confusion, her brow drawn.

"Take off your rings. Tony's a jackass but fooling around with a publicly known married woman is out of his range of horrible," Pepper explained at a whisper. "Congratulations by the way." K's face dropped. She didn't want to take off her rings. She just put the damn things on. It felt wrong and she knew Logan wouldn't be taking off his. Still, Pepper had a point.

Reluctantly, K slipped them off and slid them onto the chain. Pepper quickly helped her with the clasp and started to fill her in on everything she'd need to know.

A few minutes later, the three men returned. K followed Pepper's lead and walked towards them in her wake. Logan nodded towards the two women and gave K a smirk as he made to leave but froze when he spotted her hand, his jaw clenched and nostrils flared. He liked this stupid mission less and less. K looked ill when she saw his reaction. She knew he wasn't going to like the ring thing.

…..

The next few days were incredibly awkward, Stark worked during the day, which kept him protected being at the Avenger's headquarters as he worked all his computer magic there. Things were harder though as they approached nightfall. That was when she had to truly keep her eyes open all while acting the part of a girl that was at the least taken with him.

He dragged her along to at least one party a night for the first few days and for all of them, she had to stay close to him. She wanted to backhand him the first time he kissed her cheek and slipped his hand down to her ass. By the end of the night, it was all she could do to keep her claws in.

She was livid. Not even a whisper of a threat anywhere. There was nothing and no one themselves to be even remotely any kind of danger.

No poisons, bomb threats, or mystical packages. No attempts on his life, limb, or even so much as a parking ticket. There was, nothing.

The fact that the mission had already started to run over simply compounded her irritation. She didn't even know what to do with herself by the end of the second week after they had left yet another schmoozing party where one rich jackass or another had tried to cop a feel or say something wholly inappropriate.

To make her more irritated, generally it was Tony, and he'd done both within an hour. When the night ended and Tony jokingly asked her to go to bed with him, he said as part of the cover, her patience snapped.

"Fuck off," she growled out low.

"Come on – it's a big bed. I'll keep to my side," he teased. But K was past even considering the possibility of a joke. That last grab at her ass had her fuming.

"Not a fucking chance. Touch me again and you won't have to worry about Hydra killing you," she promised. She didn't even want to be in the room he'd set up for her. It was too close to his, and she didn't want to restrain herself when she woke up and wanted to stab him in the face. Repeatedly. She was in the middle of slipping her heels off as she tried to rein herself in but he just couldn't leave her the hell alone.

"Just trying to keep up the ruse, sweetie," he said as dropped his keys on the counter. She had managed to keep up a flirty image around people but as soon as she knew they were alone, she'd rather just keep the hell away from him all together.

"This is stupid. We gotta set some ground rules or someone – meaning you, is gonna end up bleeding," she growled before she stood up again. Tony turned to her with his most winning smile in place. He was surprised he'd gotten away with all he had so far.

"Do not touch my ass again unless you want to lose your hand. Got it?" she snarled. Tony just stared back at her wide eyed.

"I have to make it look real," he defended himself. "There are paparazzi, cameras … bloggers – all of them are watching me. I'm just treating you how I treat all the girls I take out. If I don't, it'll be obvious something's up. Just … take one for the team, alright, princess?" Her patience was waning fast.

"Stark, I swear -" she started before he cut her off.

"That's another thing. Don't call me 'Stark'. My name is Tony. Or – honey, or stud muffin _ooh_, I'll answer to lover, anything – just don't call me by my last name, alright darlin'?" A low growl echoed in the room and made his hair stand on end.

"If you call me that _ever_ again, I will kill you myself on the spot," she promised menacingly.

"Sorry, thought it might make you more comfortable," he replied, his hands up in a defensive gesture.

"Not from you," she snarled out, her lip curled back to showcase her elongated canines.

"Just. Ugh. I know this is taking longer than planned. I'm sorry, but I'm doing my best. Please, hang in there a little longer. I've almost got it, I can feel it," he said, his voice sounded weary to her. "Also, don't you think that I know better than to honestly or even subversively try to get into your pants. If you didn't kill me, your snarling stabby husband would." That actually got a little smirk from her.

_Yeah, there might be some truth there, _she thought to herself.

She ignored him for the time being and instead headed to her room to change. She slumped down on the bed as she looked around at the posh surroundings.

_Jesus, _she thought._W__hat the hell __am I__ doing here?_ _I__ should still be in the woods, tangled up with Logan._

With a heavy sigh, she slipped out of the party clothes and found something that would classify as sleep wear. Though, not by much. She eyed it critically as she held it up in front of her. She resigned herself to it as she convinced herself that no one would ever see it and she simply slipped into the periwinkle silk nightgown – the one item that actually would cover her up a little. And even that hit her less than mid thigh. There was no robe to go with it anywhere either. Just as she'd gotten herself halfway comfortable, JARVIS' voice echoed through the room telling her that Tony needed to talk to her downstairs.

_Sonofabitch,_ she whispered. She glanced down at the nightgown and groaned. She wouldn't feel comfortable in this anyhow, let alone with Stark ogling her. Then a wicked thought crossed her mind. Let him look. With a nasty smirk, she finally headed downstairs with a definite '_fuck it'_ attitude. She half wanted him to say something to her - anything just so she'd have an excuse to castrate him. Do the world a favor.

He seemed to sense that her ensemble was nearly a dare though. Stark froze as she made her appearance. Her movements were fluid and predatory as she made her way silently to the liquor cabinet. She poured herself a full rocks glass of his best scotch and slipped into the love seat before she pulled her feet beneath her and tipped it to her lips.

Tony retrieved the bottle and a glass for himself and sat next to her.

"I have something for you," he told her with a flirty tone as she skeptically eyed him over the rim of the glass.

"This isn't a penis joke, is it?" she deadpanned. He smiled and shook his head before he reached behind him only to pull out a small touch screen device. He fiddled with it for a moment before he simply handed it to her.

"Go on. Unlock it," he directed."You just swipe … here." She looked at him like he was giving her a bomb, then gingerly set the scotch down and took it from him. With a final distrustful glance, she cautiously unlocked it as Tony got up and walked away. When it opened up, Logan was on screen, puffing away on his cigar.

"Hey darlin'," he growled to her with a little smirk. She smiled crookedly in return, happy just to see his face.

…...

K was feeling much better about things after having talked to Logan. He and Cap were running behind too but had finally started to make good progress. He didn't tell her much other than all was finally getting back on schedule.

She apologized for removing her rings. It was something that was bothering her terribly. He agreed with Pepper on the matter though, that it was a part of her cover. Yet he still made a point of showing her that he was wearing his.

It was a quick back and forth, but it made it easier on her. His smile and the gravely tone of his voice as he sent his love rang in her ears as she shut down the little device and set it on the coffee table in front of her.

When the room was silent for a while, Tony re-entered and resumed his seat next to her. She sighed and set her empty glass down again before she turned to Tony and gave him a hug.

"Thanks. That was just what I needed," she told him as he stiffly returned the hug. He was shocked that she'd be so relaxed after five minutes talking to Logan of all people, let alone in such a flimsy outfit.

"Not a problem," he replied as she slipped from the hug and sat back into the chair. "Just wish I could have arranged it sooner."

…...

Logan had just closed down the screen he'd been chatting with K on. He closed his eyes and repeated to himself at least a dozen times that this was only until they got Hydra on the ropes. It shouldn't take more than a couple more days. A week tops. Please, don't go beyond that. He stood up, pulling his cowl back over his head and fiddling with his wedding band under his glove as he stepped out of the van that held all their communications.

_Good Lord. I don't know if I'm gonna have great dreams or nightmares about that goddamned thing she's wearing,_ He thought to himself. She was breathtaking, as always. Unfortunately though it just made him miss her more. He turned towards Cap and Widow, who were waiting for him. The raid tonight would be a big determining factor in how long it would take to get back and he wanted it to go smoothly. All of them did, really, but now Logan felt as if he had a little extra motivation.

…..

Nearly another week passed before Stark came up to K and Pepper as they seemed to be enjoying lunch together to tell them the relatively good news.

"I think I have the software figured out, and I'm ninety … _eight_ percent sure that the real issue is that my hardware has been compromised. I thought that might be the trouble, but I was hoping it wasn't," He told them as he reached over and stole a blueberry from Pepper's plate and K sat back in her seat, watching him.

"You got a bug in the system? Is it here?" Pepper asked him confused as to how he could over look it. He should have checked that over a week ago when his scans weren't operating right.

"No, that's the problem. I already looked here three times. It has to be back in Cali. We leave in the morning, so pack your bags, ladies," he told her as he tossed a smelly, well worn pair of gloves down between the women.

…...

Cap didn't understand it. They went into it with a clear head. He'd thought it all through. Checked the intel a dozen times or more. But it all went so far south. And so damn fast.

He'd had Logan take point as they infiltrated the old German facility. They meant to steal all their data and crash their mainframe. It was a simple run. One that should have been handed to a group with a lot less firepower.

The first part of the raid went well until Logan rounded a corner and damn near ran head first into several platoons worth of Hydra agents armed to the teeth. Before he could back off or find cover they lit him up. When he found himself nearly on his hands and knees, Cap managed to drag him back, though he did take a few rounds himself before Widow tossed in several smoke grenades to obscure them while they made a mad dash back to their pick up point. Cap carried Logan over his shoulder – he was unconscious and bleeding heavily.

How did Hydra know to wait for them there? It wasn't a spot that held a lot of traffic. Were they trying to recover Logan? Kind of sounded like it to Cap, though his German was rusty. What troubled him was that no one had their strategy outside of the three people present. Then it dawned on him. Their computer. He'd have to tell Stark to check the main computers for a problem, because clearly there was a big one and they almost lost Logan to it.

…...

The next morning, Tony, Pepper and K landed in L.A.. They made their way to his Malibu estate and on arrival, Tony rushed to the computer's mainframe in his basement while the women parted company – Pepper to her office and K, with nothing better to do for the time being, stood looking at the view out the window at the sea.

Happy had already cleared the house. The breeze was blowing in off the ocean and she filled her senses with saltwater, fish, fresh air and sunshine. She should have known better than to assume it would be clear, even if Tony and Pepper assured her that JARVIS had the house secured and Happy was on the case. She had to bite her tongue when a woman's voice greeted her with a gun barrel pressed against her temple.

…..

Within the hour Tony found the bug in his system and fixed it. His armor would be ready to use as soon as JARVIS had rebooted and scanned them. Tony came upstairs to tell K her job was done feeling jovial.

"You're never going to believe this," he said as came around the corner, grinning. "I got the bug …. out," he finished – simply staring at Viper who was behind K with a pistol jammed against her head.

"Oh good. You found our little toy. I've been waiting for you for weeks," Viper informed him with a venomous smile on her face. "Who is this little bird? She's positively adorable. I'll bet she does anything you want in the bedroom doesn't she? She looks like the type that's eager to please." K's control over her temper was slipping fast. Tony could almost feel the growl that was ready to slide from her lips. He put up his hands as he tried to buy just a little bit more time.

"Does it really matter who she is, Viper? We've been having a little bit of fun. If you weren't such a poisonous bitch, I'd extend you an invite to join us," he deadpanned in hopes that K wouldn't totally lose her cool.

Tony was still helpless as his armor prepped itself and to his relief, K waited. She'd seen only Viper, so she reasoned that her henchmen had to be outside. There was no way that Lady Hydra herself would be caught unprotected. She watched as the toxic woman leveled the gun at Tony's head. Now was the time. She moved like lightning and as she spun, she pulled the gun from her hand and used it to pistol whip the green clad vixen, promptly knocking her on her ass.

Viper pulled out a second, hidden gun from her boot and shot K until the chamber was empty as she scooted backwards in a desperate attempt to try and gain some distance between them.

When Viper saw K continue on unphased, she rightfully panicked and threw her darts at K. She hit her in several places, but K didn't look as though she was prepared to slow down. She took two more steps towards Lady Hydra then suddenly and dramatically wavered. She only made it another few steps … barely a little closer when K's vision began to blur.

She dropped the pistol involuntarily as her hands went numb and she swayed a little. She locked her knees to keep upright and on seeing the various poisons and venoms hitting her, Viper smiled.

"There is only one person I know that could have taken a dosage like that and made it more than one step," Viper said with a concentrated no nonsense tone as she rose to her feet. When she was two paces away, she reaching out to delicately examine the wedding rings around K's neck.

"Pretty jewelry. But it doesn't match your clothes at all. Who are you girl?" When K couldn't answer as the venom hit her nervous system, Viper smiled wider. K shook her head in an attempt to clear it as Viper openly watched her. The worse K looked, the more Viper grinned.

K's anger was on a back burner as she tried to keep hold of herself and remain upright. She still had a job to do. Tony was whispering under his breath for JARVIS to hurry up when Viper stepped forward and slid her hands into K's hair. She gently cradled her head while she stepped close to her. Without a moment's more of warning, she tenderly leaned in and kissed her. Viper's intention was of course, administering another venom to her already overloaded system. K's halfway raised arm brushed Viper's side, making Viper smile as she broke her poisonous kiss.

"How _sweet_ you are. I don't often kiss women," she purred out with a bemused smile as she brushed the hair from K's face, inspecting her closer. Before the toxin could take effect properly, K suddenly popped her claws in Viper's abdomen. Viper's eyes popped open in equal parts shock and pain. K managed to twist her wrist slightly as she met her eyes before her claws retracted on their own. Instantly, blood was seeping from her mouth. The two women crumpled to the ground, their eyes locked and Viper's hand still in K's hair.

K smirked at the bleeding woman in front of her as Tony rushed in and pulled the two of them apart as he barked out for his computer butler to call for assistance from the Avengers while he applied pressure to Viper's wounds.

As much as K liked the idea of her bleeding out on the spot, the Avengers, like the X-Men, preferred to have their criminals taken to justice. The last think K heard clearly was JARVIS as he announced that the armor was finally ready, and the perimeter was armed. She drifted off into the intense burning pain racing through her body. Her breathing become very rough while listening to the sounds of Tony's armor attaching itself to him while Viper gagged and struggled to choked on her own blood and the sounds of gunfire and small explosions rang out in the distance.


	2. Contamination

Logan's head felt like he'd gone a few rounds with the Hulk. His eyes didn't want to cooperate and from the smell of the air around him, he wasn't in Europe anymore. Slowly, he opened his eyes, realizing that he was back on the helicarrier. He wondered to himself what the hell happened for them to put him there. Didn't he heal right? As he made to sit up he got his answer. Tight bandages around his entire torso and a good part of his legs as well, many old bloodstains in several places. He didn't feel as if he had any open wounds. Cautiously he ran his hand across his chest, feeling for any sore spots. Nope, all fixed up. He popped a claw and cut the bandages off before looking around the medical bay. There was one other person there in plain sight, an agent that had broken his leg during the same mission Logan had been shot up. A door closed behind a doctor as she entered the room, he couldn't quite see what was behind it, but upon seeing Wolverine up and about the SHIELD doc simply brought him his civilian clothes. He dressed quickly and headed to the bridge. Might as well, Fury'd be looking for him before too long.

When he got there, he was shocked to see them watching a live feed of a group of agents hauling Viper into a jet, oxygen mask on her face with blood splattered on the inside and strapped very securely to a gurney, blood soaking through the sheet that covered her body.

"What happened? You get an agent that lost his temper?" Logan asked, startling Fury and earning a very guilty look from Cap. Fury didn't waste any time beating around the bush, giving him a very quick rundown of the events from less than an hour ago. Logan's eyes locked back on the screen as they wheeled out his little bride tied down like Hannibal Lector, complete with what appeared to be an adamantium laced straight jacket similarly secured to a gurney as she was loaded up as well, Stark and Pepper right behind her. Logan felt his temper flare and got all of five steps towards the two men when Thor blocked his path, a hand on his shoulder.

"She fought like a tiger, friend. You will be able to see exactly what happened. Please, wait to pass your judgment." Thor said, stony faced.

"She's only tied up because she damn near killed four of our agents." Fury said, trying to appease him.

"What'd they do to get her riled?" Logan asked, his face still hard.

"Nothing. Viper poisoned her. She's having...a bad reaction." Fury stated, angry that the entire thing had devolved to this point. "The amazing thing though is that from what Stark told us, she took a massive dose from those damn darts and still managed to take the bitch down." Fury said, admiration clear in his voice, a rare complement. The computer monitor behind him beeped, signaling the completed transfer of the surveillance from Starks' house. Fury kept it on a small monitor, sending out all unnecessary personnel before blowing it up for them to watch.

K and Stark had entered the building and Stark had immediately run off to the lower reaches of the house leaving K to herself. She was off screen for a moment but when she came back in, Viper had a gun to her head and was clearly directing her on what to do. K sat there, calm and stock still while Viper hissed in her ear until Tony reappeared, looking and sounding jovial. The altercation between the two women was so fast that Fury had to rewind it and slow it down just to see what had happened. Logan cringed when he watched K disarm and beat Viper with her own pistol before Viper unloaded her hidden gun on her. The darts flew and Fury froze screen, counting up how many had actually made contact with the little woman.

"Jesus. All 6 of 'em." Logan said before Fury could finish count, watching her on screen start to slip in a full on rage, he worried now. He knew two or three was a hard hit. Enough to take him down, so what the hell was twice that going to do to her little body? Logan felt himself ready to snap when the gun slipped from K's hand as she visibly swayed – a total switch from less than a moment ago, Viper was examining her rings on screen with a grin. The whole room went silent when she grabbed K's head.

"She's not -" Cap said, dropping his thought as Viper did indeed kiss the smaller woman just before K popped her claws, followed by both of them falling to the ground. The room was silent. No one even moved as they stared at the screen, the only movement between the two women was that of Viper coughing up blood and struggling to breathe as she lay in the growing pool of blood. She began shaking as Stark finally got to her to administer some field first aid – Fury flipping off the screen and staring out the window.

"Well, that didn't turn out real good." Fury said, a grimace on his face as he tossed the file in his hand on the table in front of him. "They're on their way here. Won't know for sure what kind of condition your wife or your ex-wife is in until they get here. Only good news in this fiasco is that now we have Madame Hydra under lock and key." He turned to look at Logan and was met by Logan's fist, flattening him out as Logan stalked off to the deck, Cap in his wake.

…...

The flight to New York was a rough one. Aside from the fact that they hit major turbulence and a thunderstorm, the medics couldn't use their normal protocols with K. The straightjacket was discarded not long after they were airborne when she went limp, her eyes rolling wildly as her body convulsed. When her heart stopped, CPR was worthless – the adamantium on her ribcage prevented them from being able to do any compressions. They were cautious with mouth to mouth seeing as they could still see the smear of Viper's poisonous lipstick, and Tony didn't expect her to give up what she'd used even if she wasn't unconscious. One of the medics gave K a last chance shot, against orders from the doctor in charge, as he tied her tightly to the gurney and cut her open, reaching into her chest to manually force the heart to beat. Tony was horrified. If Logan could see this right now, he'd probably never forgive him – if he let him live. They were over Chicago when she finally started breathing on her own. Her heart didn't start working until after they landed.

Logan paced the flight deck waiting for her to arrive. He'd run through his mind a hundred different ways to kill Viper if this didn't end up doing her in. When they landed though, he forgot all about them as they rushed K out first, a medic sitting on top of her with his hand shoved up under her ribcage, blood everywhere. Pepper was in tears and Tony was pale. When they got her into the medical bay, they began hooking up monitors. The medic stopped his work to get off her, panicking when the wound his arm was in tried to close itself around him.

"Get off her! She's healing'!" Logan shouted, the medics scrambling to get out of his way as he strode up to her. Her heart was weak, but functional. Tests were ordered on her blood to determine what they needed to give her, if anything. Logan removed the gold chain from her neck and slipped the rings back on her finger then pulled up a chair, staring at her, trying to will her to wake up. Fury sent word to him that he was needed at the bridge, which he of course ignored. Some time later, Pepper came down, figuring she'd test the waters with him, see how angry at Tony he was. She was surprised to see him holding her hand, gently caressing it with his thumb as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. She realized he'd put her rings back on her.

"How are you holding up?" Pepper asked him, looking concerned. He looked at her and shook his head but didn't answer. "I'd be happy to sit with her for a while if you'd like." she offered. He mumbled a quiet 'no thanks.' Pepper didn't know what else to do, so she simply stood and left after retrieving an extra blanket for the unconscious woman.

…...

Logan had gotten tired of waiting. After Pepper left, he pulled out his com link to the X-men. Scott was, of course, the one to pick up.

"Slim, we hit some trouble. Send the blackbird to get us. Make sure Hank's on board, we're on the helicarrier." He told him, his voice betraying his weariness. Scott paused a moment, not sure what would have Logan sounding so dejected. The missions were supposed to be easy ones, weren't they? What could have gone wrong?

"On the way." he replied. Logan breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God Scott didn't bother with the list of questions he usually ran him through, because he sure as hell didn't want to answer any. He didn't like the way that some of the docs were looking at K. One of them looked familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd seen the guy before.

Within an hour the blackbird was there and Hank was rushing into the medical bay.

"Oh my." Hank said, announcing his arrival. "Whatever has she gotten into this time?" He began a gentle yet thorough examination. Although she was clearly weak, all seemed to be in order except of course that she was not awake. Hank looked to Logan over his glasses.

"I don't suppose you'd mind just holding her on the way back?" Hank teased.

"You know I won't turn that down, Henry." Logan replied, removing the leads attached to her and carrying her bridal style for the exit. Suddenly two of the doctors in the bay moved to block his way.

"You can't take her out of here, she needs to be cleared by Director Fury first!" The obstinate young doctor proclaimed, not fully aware yet that Wolverine's reputation was well founded. The growl and stare Logan gave him was the only warning he got, Logan more than willing to put him in a bed next to Viper. Before he could make good on his thought, the doctor spooked and nearly squeaked as he scurried out of Logan's path. They were heading to the deck when Fury, Thor and Stark came around the corner, knowing that Logan was moving her out. Now.

"You can't just walk out of here with her. We're not finished yet. She needs to be debriefed!" Fury told him.

"Watch me, Nick. I'm takin' her, and there ain't anyone that's gonna stop me. You can talk to her after she recovers IF she wants to talk." Logan growled out, stepping through the door and towards the blackbird, Hank and Scott at his back. Fury swore and turned on his heel, deciding to follow them, putting Cap in charge of keeping Viper under strict supervision. The last thing they needed now was for her to slip away, even if she was nearly bled out.

Celia met them at the hangar in Westchester, and drew more blood, trying to gauge her progress, if any, from the test results Hank had looked over at SHIELD. There was improvement, another blood draw in a few hours if she hadn't woke up would let them know how quick she was progressing. Logan stayed at her side, determined to be there when she woke up, praying that it would be sooner rather than later. Fury pulled up a chair maybe an hour after they'd arrived, taking up his own version of a vigil with his old acquaintance.

"How'd you get mixed up with her anyhow?" Fury asked. Logan narrowed his eyes at him, not really wanting to talk to him. "I mean, she's cute, but I thought you went for red heads and Asians."

"I never could resist a girl with a nice set a claws." Logan replied, a little smirk on his mouth, earning himself a chuckle from Fury.

"Well good luck with that. She seems to get into as much trouble as you do." Fury said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not just here to debrief, Logan. You oughta know that. She did a great job. Better than if we'd have used one of our own agents. She was convincing. We want to offer her a position in SHIELD, if she wants it."

"Get out." he growled. Nick watched him meeting his stare, but not moving.

"No. Not until I get to talk to her." he replied, stubborn as Logan. It turned out they'd have to wait a little while. It wasn't until nearly three in the morning before K's eyes fluttered open, her body aching and every breath burning a little less. Logan was watching her, his face passive.

"You sure know how to scare a man." he said quietly. "Let's get out of here, sweetheart." he told her, helping her to her feet. Halfway up the stairs, she motioned to stop. Her chest burning like fire. He watched her for a moment then swept her off her feet, carrying her the rest of the way.

"Yeah, that shit burns." he told her as she breathed heavily, her face red. "Give it 'til mornin'." She gave up trying to move herself and just surrendered to him, resting her head on his shoulder, letting him take care of her, the sensation of his arms around her letting her relax at once. A tear slipped down her cheek as he snuggled in next to her after he laid her on the bed, letting her use his chest as a pillow, his arm cradling her.

"Don't cry, darlin'. You're here with me now." he told her kissing the top of her head as she fell asleep safe in his arms, clutching him though every inch of her was body aching.

When she woke up the next morning, she was still sore but her lungs had stopped burning at least. She still felt like she had water in there though, wheezing a little every now and again. She closed her eyes again and turned her face into his chest, kissing her way up to his mouth, Logan smiling at her as she did, obliging her and slipping his hands up her sides.

"We're gonna have to talk to them." he told her between kisses.

"Shut up and get naked." she replied, a little growl in her voice. He looked up at her, grinning.

"Yes, ma'am." he growled back, shimmying out of his sweats as she removed the hospital gown.

…...

After they'd cleaned up in the shower they dressed and headed downstairs. Fury was with Scott, filling him in on the details that he felt were relevant for Scott to know.

"You're leaving out a lot, mister ..." K said her eyes locked on the director as she poured herself some coffee.

"Fury. Look whose up and around. You should be dead right now." He replied, leaning back and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Is that disappointing? No one said that woman would be anywhere near Tony, just that she was possibly in the states. Do you normally send out your people without all the information they need, or is that only something you do with 'unknowns'?" she asked, calmly sipping her coffee as she pointed out his misgivings.

"Not your call as to what you get to know when you go out. You know what you need to know." he told her.

"No. I knew what you wanted to tell me. Which was nothing." she set down her mug and narrowed her eyes as she stared him down. "You want to know why your missions are failing? Look in the mirror. You leave out key information and wait for your people to die because of it." She ripped into him, perfectly calm while Logan and Scott stared at her stunned. "You've been infiltrated from shitty screening processes and your failures in the field are a direct result of your incompetence. How's that for a debriefing." she growled out before turning and leaving the kitchen.

"You need to get your woman under control." he said angrily to Logan, who shook his head.

"Why? Seems to me she's willin' to tell ya what no one else will. She's right Nick. You almost got both of us in a bad way. We're done here." Logan replied, following her trail.

He found her down by the lake, bare feet dangling over the pier, toes in the water. He sat behind her, slipping his legs around her, and pulling her back into his chest.

"What's botherin' ya, darlin'? Ya ripped him a new one without a stitch of warning. Not many people willing to do that do him." he told her as she leaned her head back on his shoulder.

"They knew Viper was there. They knew and they didn't warn us, no back up." she said quietly.

"I hope you're wrong, darlin'." he told her, kissing her temple. She was quiet a moment as she stroked his knee.

"I'm not." she said firmly. "I'm no spy. I just know when someone's been lying to me, and I know when I'm set up. This was a set up."

"That's half of bein' a spy. The other half is bein' sneaky and bein' able to lie." he told her. She turned to look him in the face.

"I don't like to lie and I hate being manipulated. They're on their own." She said angrily as he pulled her chin to him for a quick kiss.

"I'm real glad to hear that. Fury was gonna offer you a position." he told her. She bristled.

"I'd have to be stupid as hell to work for that jackass after that fiasco. What the hell's he thinkin'?" she growled, obviously getting pissed off just at the idea. Logan smiled and pulled her tight, K struggling against his grip.

"Let me up – I'm not done with him yet." she grumbled. He tightened his hold.

"Yes you are. You told him what you thought and walked out." he said reasonably. She pinched him on the inner thigh, making him jump. "Damnit woman! Quit that – you really wanna finish out your honeymoon with Fury?" She stopped and turned her head as far as he'd allow her.

"We have more time?" she asked, a smile creeping on her face. He nodded biting his bottom lip. The tension melted away as she slid around in his arms, wrapping hers around his waist as he loosened his grip on her, kicking off the second leg of their honeymoon right on the dock.


	3. How Stubborn is She?

The summer was waning. It had become a joke around the mansion, anyone trying to give K a message from SHIELD or Fury. She ignored, burned, recycled and returned every one. Bobby was starting to take bets on how she'd handle the next one when Stark came to visit.

"Would you at least talk to me? Tell me your version of events?" Tony asked her as she came in from what had started as a run with Logan.

"Why? You were there. You know what happened." She said, blowing him off on the subject.

"Come on, I've got to go to Paris in two weeks, I could use a lovely bodyguard to keep me safe." he smiled, hoping to even just rile her. She shook her head as she set down her bottle of water.

"No, you're just hoping to watch another girl kiss me. I know your modus operandi, pervert." She teased him, getting a good laugh from him in response.

"OK. I'm busted." he chuckled. "And if it weren't for the fact that Viper was the one kissing you it would have been the highlight of the year. Seriously, I was equal parts terrified and turned on." Logan leveled a glare at him as K waved Tony off.

"Pathetic." she drawled out. "Besides, I don't work for SHIELD."

"Oh no – you'd be working for Stark Industries." Tony told her, hoping that would make a difference. She shook her head.

"What, and have YOU for a boss? You couldn't afford the sexual harassment suit. Nope. Not interested. I'm sure Happy'll look great in couture. Heels will be hard to find though." She snarked as Logan led her from the room.

Stark had to laugh. She wasn't going to be an easy one to crack. He'd told Fury as much. Nearly another week passed when Cap showed up this time.

"Here we go." K commented under her breath as she and Kitty watched him walk across the room to where they were planning out fall lessons together. He greeted them as he sat down across from K while she made a point to avoid eye contact.

"Would you be interested -" Cap started to say before K cut across him with a resounding 'No.'

"You didn't even hear what I was going to-"

"No."

"You're not being very reasonable." Cap got out as K finally looked up at him.

"Not my strongest point." she replied. "And, no." she told him as she looked back to her schedule.

"So you're going to try and sit here telling me that your life is perfect as a schoolteacher?" He asked, hoping she'd take it as a jab.

"Well, first of all, I'm not really a teacher, I'm a riding instructor. Totally different, and no. But it's a far cry better than being a lap dog. How's that working for you?" She shot back.

"Hey, I'm just trying to do my job here." Cap told her, frustrated at her non-compliance.

"Then understand that part of your job may mean taking 'no' for an answer once in a while. Let's practice - NO. Now, you walk away." She told him, staring at him wide eyed, clearly waiting for him to leave. He met her eyes for a few moments until she shrugged at him as if to say 'your turn' when he finally cracked a smile, shook his head and stood up. On his way out of the room, he pulled Logan with him.

"You know, sooner or later, Fury's gonna get mad and try to force her." Cap told him. Logan looked at him with a grim expression.

"You and I both know that's a bad idea. Ya know, maybe Fury could try a little sugar for a change. I'm told force doesn't always work." Cap grinned as the two men shook hands. Cap clearly had an idea.

Three days later a large box truck rumbled up the driveway, Cap at the wheel.

"Cap? When did you take up a job as a delivery boy? What's in the truck?" Scott asked walking up to him as he climbed out of the cab.

"Little present for K. She around?" Cap asked with a smile. Whatever he did he was sure proud of it.

"Is Logan going to be alright with you giving her something that needs a box truck?" Scott asked, looking skeptical. He knew Fury was trying to get her to comply, but this was getting insane. He'd have to talk to her if whatever trick this was didn't work.

"He'll even appreciate this one." Cap told him as Scott shook his head and went to find her. He bumped into Betsy having tea in the kitchen.

"You don't want to interrupt them. Especially not for Steve." she told him over the lip of her cup.

"So they're upstairs then?" Scott asked, Betsy nodded. Scott decided to take his chances. He was a little curious as to what was in the truck.

"K, Logan – there's a truck here for you." Scott said after knocking on the door.

"Fine. Be down in a minute." K said back, falling into a fit of laughter while a growl could be distinctly heard in the background. Scott shook his head. He didn't want to know. Ever.

A solid 15 minutes later, K stumbled into the kitchen, Logan at her heels looking pissed off.

"What did you do, Scott?" K asked him with a smile on her face.

"Not me, it was Cap." She froze, the smile falling from her mouth.

"No." she said seriously, turning and bumping into Logan, who was standing right behind her.

"You're gonna see what it is, darlin'. We didn't get interrupted for nothin'." Logan growled at her. Her shoulders dropped.

"Really? You're going to make me talk to him just because you got blocked?" She asked, her hand on her hip. He nodded, looking dead serious. "You're so spoiled." she growled back as he turned her around, pushing her forward.

"And I thought he was in a bad mood when he wasn't getting any." Bobby mumbled. Logan snarled at him as they passed. When they stepped outside, K nearly backed into Logan.

"What the fuck is this?" she asked, clearly a bit freaked out. Somehow she wasn't expecting a big truck. Logan grabbed her hips and pushed her forward, still irritated. He stopped pushing her when Cap opened the back and raised the platform.

"Never did thank you for the job you did for Stark. Viper is recovering and locked up in a Hulk buster cell. So, I thought you'd like a little touch of home." Cap told her, grinning in earnest as he worked in the truck. Scott couldn't take the suspense and walked around back for a peek, his jaw dropping as he shook his head with a smile.

"Don't let her look until it's on the ground, Logan. Trust me, it'll be worth it." Scott said a rare moment of easy humor in his demeanor. His curiosity piqued, Logan decided to agree, turning her around to him and holding her tightly, planning on keeping her that way until it was safe to let her see. She pushed against him, struggling in his arms as he forced her toward the front of the truck.

"Logan, stop please." she said quietly, her voice shaking a little. He was shocked by her reaction.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, K, you know that." he told her, letting her go instantly. She nodded her head, pale.

"I know – I just – just don't manhandle me like that." she told him. "I'll behave." He stared at her a moment, he'd never heard that tone in her voice before. Before he could delve into this further, the truck began to move as the platform went back down. Cap's voice called out for her to come back and she looked to Logan, not moving until he reached out for her hand. He kissed her palm, hoping to get her to relax, she did, going back to him and wrapping her arms around him as they made their way to the back.

"Cover your eyes, K." Cap shouted out. K rolled her eyes but turned her back to them as they reached the rear of the truck. Logan's expression was her only clue when he saw what was unloaded.

"Where the hell'd you find that, Cap?" he asked, pure admiration clear on his face.

"K knows where I found it." Cap grinned as Logan finally turned her around, her old pan head sitting on the ground in front of her, exactly as she left it at her cottage.

"You _drove_ this all the way here?" she asked, clearly taken off guard and touched deeply by his gesture.

Cap just smiled as he nodded at her. Her eyes drifted from the bike to Cap and suddenly she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug. He returned it, laughing as Logan scrunched up his eyebrows.

"Thank you." she said quietly in his ear. "it means a lot to me that you went to the trouble, even if it was a bribe." Cap couldn't help but laugh.

"Did it work?" he asked finally. She smiled as she broke the hug.

"Not really. But I'll sit down with _you_ and give you your report." She told him, Cap shaking his head.

"Anyone ever tell you you're a hard ass?" he asked her. She shrugged.

"Who, me? Nah, I'm a snuggly little thing." she replied as Cap stepped back, Logan sliding up next to her.

"Will she start?" Logan asked, getting a smile from K.

"Wanna give it a shot and see?" she asked, handing him the key. He grinned and took it.

"It's been a while, so twist the throttle, 1/2 choke, then two kicks, ignition on, one more kick to fire. That's what this one always liked." she told him as he grinned at her. "But I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't work at all." Logan shook his head as he threw a leg over the old motorcycle, starting on her instructions.

"Is it me, or are they talking in their own language?" Scott asked as he and Cap watched Logan finish the 2nd kick. He flipped the ignition on and took a deep breath as K nodded to him with a smile as he kicked one last time, as per her instructions, the bike snarling to life. He gave it some gas, letting the motor roar, loud and throaty, closing his eyes as he took it in. She slipped her hands across his shoulders as she leaned into his ear.

"Why don't you clear the kinks out for me while I talk to Steve." she told him. He looked at her in a little disbelief.

"You sure you don't want to take her out first?" he asked. "Been a while for you." She leaned in and kissed him.

"Whats mine is yours. Enjoy it." she told him and he gave her another kiss.

"I won't be long." he said, the engine rumbling over his voice before he kicked it into gear and slipped off down the road.

"Lets get this over with." she said turning to Cap.

…...

Steve left, thanking her for finally finishing the report and promising her he'd get Fury to forget about her. She decided when Logan came back in that she'd have to take a little time to clear her head before classes started, the pull of the north had been getting stronger every day. The arrival of her motorcycle didn't help matters much either. It reminded her of the place she left behind. Things had been heating up in the bedroom too, somehow. Everything had gotten extremely intense. Overwhelming, really. She didn't know what was happening, but even as much as she was enjoying it, she felt like she was losing herself to Logan's will.


	4. Feral Tendencies Show

Hank was surprised to see K walk into his lab and sit down next to him, her face troubled.

"What brings you here, my dear? Not bored, I'm sure." He asked her as he removed his glasses and turned to face her.

"I think there's something wrong with me." she told him. "All those tests you wanted to run last year – you still want to do them?" she asked. Shocked, he nodded.

"Yes, if you're willing." he replied. "What makes you think there's something the matter?"

She sighed and sat on her hands, leaning forward.

"Just a gut feeling." she said quietly. "I never really knew any other feral – types, so is it normal to just … not be able to say no?" Hank looked taken back.

"Physiologically? It's possible. Not much is known when two feral mutants choose to commit to each other. It generally goes against their nature." he replied, watching her reactions carefully. "Is Logan asking you to do something you don't want to do?"

"No. No, I just. I can't say no to him for anything. It's been like that from the get go." she confessed, hoping there was a medical reason for it.

"Is there something that's happened that is troubling you?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"Not specific, I feel like I'm going crazy. Like I'm losing myself. I just want to make sure it's not something physically wrong with me before I let one of the telepaths in." she explained, looking at the ground. Hank patted her on the knee.

"I understand. I'll go get my supplies. Why don't you change in the meantime." he told her as he stood up. She felt like a traitor for saying anything out loud. Hank worked quickly, he pulled more blood than he thought necessary before starting the scans on her. Partway through the scan his eyes popped open and he called for Kitty. He'd need some help, and she would be the only one that could do it.

"K, I think we may have found something." Hank said, K let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She sat up and waited for Hank and Kitty to come over. When they did, Hank showed her the scans.

"It appears as though there is an extremely fine micro-filament cable running through your body. It is wrapped around your spine, and extends to your arms and legs, with extensions around the housings of your claws. I believe the center of it is here, at the base of your skull. It appears to be some sort of biometric control system. To try to remove it manually would be incredibly difficult and nearly impossible while fighting your healing ability, so Kitty here is going to try and remove it by making it intangible. There will still be some tugging that you will feel as her powers do not work entirely right where adamantium is involved." he explained quickly. "I don't know if it's the source of your concerns, but it isn't natural, and we will remove it." She nodded her head. "I will need to make one incision however, to give Kitty easier access. Will that be alright with you?" he asked, Kitty looked nervous.

"Guess so." K replied, hopping up and following Hanks' lead to a surgical table.

"Don't move, K. I don't want to tie you down if I don't have to." Hank told her as he numbed the area he meant to cut into. Without wasting any time, he held her head still as he cut into the flesh at the base of her skull, exposing a small device that was free floating near the hollow where her spine met her head. Kitty carefully reached in and got a solid hold of it, concentrating hard on rendering the entire device and it's extensions intangible. Once it was, it was a bit of a fight removing the bits that were entwined in her adamantium spine and the bits that they realized extended into her skull, but when it all came out, it was impressive. Hank had Kitty set it on a different table for examination before having K return for a second scan to ensure that it had all been removed. All they found this time was a tiny tracking device that looked like something that SHIELD had implanted when she was in their care, which Hank removed quickly. K felt woozy when it was over, a side effect of Kitty's powers. She thanked them both for their trouble and decided to call it a day. Hopefully things would even out for her.

She was in bed half asleep with what felt like a migraine when Logan slipped into the room and began rubbing her shoulders. Kitty had told him about the device they'd removed.

"You alright, darlin'?" he asked, concern in his voice. Half out of it she replied earnestly and unfiltered.

"Yeah, but I don't know if it worked. I still don't think I can turn you down." she said sleepily. Logan's brow creased. What the hell was she talking about?

"I don't know what you mean, honey. Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked. There was a little pause before she finally answered.

"God, yes. You smell good." she said with a yawn. He smiled a little as he wrapped himself around her. She snuggled into him as he did, holding his arms as they wrapped around her. "much better." she mumbled, passing out.

The next day she returned to Hank for more blood work. He wanted to compare before and after to make sure there was no chemical interference. That afternoon, he bumped into her in the entry as she came in from chores.

"The device we removed was an incomplete system. I believe it was to become a control system for the experimental program that worked on you. Otherwise, there are no chemicals, drugs, nanobots, or hormones that don't belong in your system. If you are still having trouble, I'm afraid you'll have to speak with Charles or Jean. In the mean time, I will research any information I can find on feral behaviors for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." he told her. She thanked him and with a sigh went to see Charles.

…...

The discussion with Xavier didn't go very well. He tried to counsel her, bringing in Logan at one point and finding that he was having a similar experience. He too didn't feel as though he could deny her anything, but didn't see it as any kind of a concern. Hank hypothesized that there must have been a primal bonding between the two that occurred early on and was only intensifying as time passed. They decided to just be careful in how they worded things to the other, to keep from manipulating. The result ended up being much more non-verbal communication that caused both of them to have a deep miscommunication.

...

He'd gotten carried away while they were making love. Both of them did. Maybe it was the lack of talking, relying on body language, who knows, but it tripped off a chain of action that they both didn't seem inclined to stop. Until it was over that is. Then both felt as if they wanted to back pedal. All at once, they both realized what they'd done in their carelessness moment of passion and mutual feral behavior. Total absence of birth control or restraint on both sides. It didn't really sink in for him until well afterward when she had her head on his chest, arm draped across him and seemed to be drifting off to sleep. Suddenly it hit him. Oh fuck. Did he really just …. oh shit. Instantly he was beating himself up mentally.

K on the other hand, had realized it earlier, but still too late to do anything about it. Maybe a split second before it happened. She opened her mouth to stop him, seeing he was pretty far gone when her high hit her like a cement truck out of nowhere. As it was happening, a tiny voice in the back of her head was screaming at her 'you moron!' But even her inner conscience was too late to actually do anything once they hit the point of no return. When he laid down next to her, her heart began to race as realization hit her. Oh shit. Oh -_ shit_. It made her nervous but it was certainly a little too late to change it now. Her heart fell. She was unsure how he even felt about the prospect of children. _Well,_ she decided, _I screwed up. IF something comes of it, I'll figure it out then._

He didn't know what to say. The lump in his throat thick as he looked over to his wife while she dressed in his old worn brown flannel, his eyes wandering to the apex of her legs as she climbed back on the bed, slinking up to him on all fours. He wanted to apologize somehow, but at the same time, he felt great. They always had a good time in bed, but that … that was really phenomenal. It was how sex between a man and his wife was supposed to be. So why did he feel guilty about it?

"I'm sorry Darlin'. I don't know what got into me." he told her his brow wrinkled up. She leaned up to look at him better, laying across his chest she kissed him.

"We're both at fault. Don't beat yourself up. I should have stopped you." she told him, her tone light, earning a more passionate kiss from him as he pulled her on top of him. "We are going to need to get a grip on this though, unless you're trying to get me pregnant." she told him bluntly. He continued kissing her, his hands roaming again.

"Would that be so bad?" he asked, her pulse picked up and tingles shot down her spine. She was speechless for a moment.

"I um, I – I don't know." she stammered, a little fear rising up. He stopped his kisses and looked her in the eyes.

"Just think about it, sweetheart. You don't have to answer me today." he told her, the sexiest smile on his face. "But you usually get flustered like this when it's something you want deep down." She couldn't stop herself from launching at him and kissing him senseless. They made love again, this time, it was entirely her fault when the session ended exactly the same way. He'd actually made an attempt to get her off him but she took his hands from her hips and pinned them by his head as he hit the point of no return.

"Jesus, K." he panted as she finally released his hands. "You sure you don't know?" She looked torn as he sat up.

"I have no idea what the hell's gotten into me. Seriously, I can't be trusted." she told him, stress showing on her face as he pulled her chin to him for another kiss, rolling them so she was now on her back with him settled between her legs.

"You're not allowed on top for a while, darlin'. Not until you figure it out." he told her, half teasing while trying to reassure her. "You're in charge of this decision." She snuggled into him, unable to relax enough to fall asleep. She'd never felt this way. Then she realized what it had to be. Hank must be right. God DAMN it. Since when were her hormones so damn strong? Fuck. This couldn't be good. Could she discuss this with Hank without it becoming an experiment? Is this the result of the 'bond' that Hank hypothesized? She suspected that Logan hadn't gone to sleep yet. His breathing hadn't deepened and evened out. So in the cover of the darkness of their room, in the dead of night she admitted what her body had been screaming at her.

"I'm terrified of having a child." she said. "Like quaking in my boots scared." Logan's arm squeezed her a little tighter as he kissed the top of her head. "But I want yours." His free hand found it's way to hers their fingers entwining. "Just not now." she amended.

"No rush, sweetheart. You and I have all the time in the world." he told her.

"I know. It just …" she struggled to find the right words. "It feels right. It feels great." A smile crept onto his face. Was it a feral thing?

"Like I said, take some time to think about it. That is, if we haven't already..." he told her. Her stomach fell a little. Yeah. Here's hoping that the damage wasn't already done. At least she knew that if it was, he was on board even if she ended up having a meltdown.

They were far more careful from then on. She hadn't given him the green light, and she was still very apprehensive. He was now painfully aware that she'd get to him from time to time, seemingly unable to stop herself so he forced himself into check. She had to admire his self control, even if it had her nearly begging him on more than one occasion, him nearly breaking his control a few times. She could control herself, but not anywhere near his level. Weeks passed and she'd effectively put the entire thing out of her mind, having dodged that bullet for the time being, as it were. It was getting harder to ignore however, it seemed her hormones had been progressively getting stronger as the months with him wore on. Shit. She couldn't talk to Jean about this – oh no. Jean was baby crazy herself. She could practically hear the woman's biological clock ticking from across the mansion. K didn't feel comfortable talking to Betsy – though she wished she could, her rapport with Logan would be a direct line on how the man was truly feeling, and he refused to say to her one way or the other, determined to make her decide. Most of the other women were either too busy or too much of a gossip, and there was no way in hell she was going to talk to a guy. They were worse than the women when it came to gossip.

...

She was in the barn, brushing out a new horse when Kitty walked in.

"Oh I didn't know you were here – I can come back." Kitty said, her face was streaked with tears.

"Kitty, wait." K said, turning to her. "Don't go. I think we both could use a little company." Kitty looked at her shocked in spite of her own state of upset.

"Why? Is there a problem with Logan?" she asked, instantly hitting the center of K's troubles. She shook her head, trying to find the right thing to say.

"Well, yes. No. * sigh * Sort of." K finally spit out. It didn't matter at this point. Everyone knew something was up. The animals weren't even helping her to clear her mind. Kitty pulled up a bale next to where K was slipping down the wall.

"What did he do?" Kitty asked, her eyebrows pulled together. She'd grown to truly like K. She had a way about her that made it easy to like her, if she wanted you to, and with him, both of them were so – natural together. Kitty couldn't remember seeing him so happy. She didn't want it to end for him for any reason that could be avoided.

"Nothing. He does everything right, I just – I'm a little confused right now." K said quietly.

"Is this about you two having kids?" she asked as K froze. Who all knew? "He hasn't told you how he feels?" she asked, surprised that he hadn't said. K whispered no as she stood up leaning against the wall again. Kitty was now thoroughly confused. She knew Logan wanted children, so why hadn't he said anything?

"How do you feel about it?" Kitty asked, trying to avoid undermining whatever Logan was trying to do.

"Scared to death." K said as understanding finally hit Kitty. "What had you coming down here to hide anyhow?" K asked, desperate to change the subject. Kitty hastily wiped her cheeks with the palm of her hand.

"Oh nothing, it's stupid. Pete and I had a fight. It'll be fine." she said. K smiled at her.

"What did HE do?" she asked. Kitty laughed.

"He got mad because Bobby was flirting with me. Bobby flirts with everyone. No one makes a big deal about it, but Pete got mad." K nodded her head.

"So who needs their butt kicked?" K asked as Kitty laughed nervously.

"I don't even know." Kitty told her. K smirked.

The two got themselves back together and ran into Pete on the way in, who nodded to K and took Kitty's hand, apologizing profusely for his temper. K stayed a few paces back to let them have some privacy when she caught a whiff of Logan on the breeze. She decided to see what he was up to. She followed the scent out into an open field near the house. The grass was deep and thick and in the middle she could see a small herd of deer grazing. She ducked down and followed his trail staying back a bit, unsure if he was hunting or observing. Before long, she watched him creep into the clearing with the deer when a summer fawn came up to him, his spots nearly faded. Logan slowly reached up and petted the little baby as it's mother came near. She showed no fear of him, and he gave her no reason, even as he reached up and stroked her neck. A door in the house slammed and the deer jumped a little, trotting out of the field their tails half flagging as they went. Logan just watched them go. K watched him until he finally stood up to go back to the house, spotting her as he turned.

"How long you been there, darlin'?" he asked. She just smiled in response and gave him a kiss when he was close enough, heading back up with him, hand in hand.

The next morning, he woke up alone with a note addressed to him on the nightstand. He was a little confused, but opened it before getting up. It was in K's neat script and read simply "I'm sorry I snuck out like this, but I have to go check on my cottage. I was going to ask you to go, but Kitty really needed a break. I'll take you next time, if you want to go hide away in the woods with me. XOXO Took your Jeep, Be home Friday – Miss you already. All my love, K." Logan sighed as he got out of bed. Not what he wanted to wake up to. He knew she could be sneaky, but didn't realize that she could sneak past him. Guess this meant he'd have a chance to grill ol' Petey boy. Find out why his kitten needed to get away.


	5. Superior Break

Kitty and K cut through Canada on the way. The trip itself was an eye opener for Kitty. They crossed out of Canada in Detroit and immediately shot up I-75, the gritty dirty city reminded her of the dirtier more dangerous parts of her own home town of Chicago. Kitty had always heard about some of Michigan's sights, but was truly stunned at her first glimpse of the 'Mighty Mac' as K called it, the yellowish towers peeking out of the deep green of the rolling hills leading up to it. They crossed the bridge around sunset, and the straits were glowing in the evening sun. the water below the bridge was like a mirror. Even Kitty had to admit to herself that she indeed felt like she was in a different country once they'd gotten into the U.P., it even smelled better. They picked up some pasties outside of St. Ignace as they motored down US 2, Kitty was a little unnerved as there was no map in the car. Eventually, they made it to the cottage, off a paved road that turned gravel, then down a two track, and a beaten path that turned into a mostly overgrown trail. It was well after dark. The cottage was small, but cozy. K was surprised to find that not only had Bill gotten her message, but he'd dusted the place and stocked the fridge for her. Kitty was falling in love with the little cottage. There was a creek right next to the house that they used a little footbridge to cross. When Kitty saw the waterwheel that was attached to the cottage, she nearly squealed. To her it looked like something out of a painting.

"It's really not much in the dark, Kitty. Wait until morning." K told her. She sighed as she sat down. As nice as it was at Xaviers, it really felt good to be in her own place. They brought in the bags and K started a fire in the pit outside on the deck. She warned Kitty to stay away from the railings as they pulled out the extra pasties K had bought, reheating them over the fire. As they ate their late dinner, the travel started to catch up to them. They'd quit feeding the fire and the lonely howl of wolves echoed closer and closer to the house, finally surrounding them. Kitty looked scared.

"Don't worry Kitty. They won't come near the fire. They know people are trouble." K told her as even Kitty could hear them trotting through the woods around them. After they settled down, K asked if she was ready to go in, Kitty nodded eagerly. She could fall asleep on the deck if it weren't for the wolves. The women went in and K locked up.

"It's hunting season. You never know who's wandering where they shouldn't be." K explained.

Kitty woke up to the smell of coffee. When she got out to the kitchen, her mouth dropped. It was beautiful there. The sound of the water outside and the creaking of the waterwheel added to the ambiance of the deep piney smell of the woods. She pulled up a chair as K brought her some breakfast.

"Oooh. What's this?" she asked as she looked down at the little folded up triangles covered in red berries and whipped cream.

"Old family recipe." K told her as she took a drink of coffee "nothing better in the world for breakfast." One bite and Kitty was in heaven. When she turned her head to look out at the deck she dropped her fork. The deck overlooked a beautiful lake, shimmering in the morning sun.

"No wonder I had to watch the rail" she said wide eyed at the beauty of the place around her. K smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. I hope I can get Logan out here one of these days." she said offhandedly as she watched a loon swim across the lake.

"You didn't take him here yet? Why not? He'd love it!" Kitty exclaimed.

"We were going to for part of the honeymoon, but that kinda got – wrecked." she explained. "Haven't had a chance since. I was going to bring him, but you needed a break more than he did."

Kitty really took in all the details, flattered that K had taken her instead of Logan. This place _was_ K. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. K got up and opened it, letting in Bill, who greeted her with a hug, anxiously looking around the cabin, expecting to see Logan standing there. He was shocked when instead he saw the lovely little brunette girl at the table.

"What happened to your man? You didn't break him already did ya?" Bill joked. K flipped him off as he hung up his jacket.

"No, Kitty here needed a break more than he did. Come on, grab a cup. Thanks for stocking up for me. That was really sweet." she told him. Bill blushed as he helped himself, knowing where K kept everything and sat down with the women, his back to the door so he could look at the lake.

"So you're just here for a few days, eh?" he asked, watching K for a reaction. He wondered if things were on the rocks with the little fella.

"Yeah, I needed to get a break. They're workin' me like a dog there, Bill. In a week, they start up riding lessons every day of the work week, and now there's a club on the weekend too. Never worked so damn many kids at once." She told him, Bill just laughed. She must be enjoying it, she only bitched about the lessons when they were going really well.

"You probably got it comin' then." he teased. Kitty was enjoying the conversation. It was all very easy and relaxed. "You going to come on down to the bar then while you're here?" he asked. K shook her head quickly.

"No. I don't need to get chased down all the way back. Just want to stick around and get some air and winterize the place. I really appreciate you keepin an eye out for me. I'll find a way to pay you back one of these days." She told him as he waved her off.

"Forget it. Just don't ever sell this place to one a them down staters and we'll be just fine." he told her as he finished his coffee. "Well, guess I'll leave you girls to whatever you're going to do. I'll see ya in a couple days, ya?" he asked, K nodded and he took care of his mug then let himself out.

"Oh, one more thing, eh? There's some real stupid apple-knockers hangin' round. Watch out for them, wouldja?" he asked, looking a little worried. She nodded her head as she set down her mug.

"Will do, Bill. Thanks for the warning." She replied, Bill tipped his hat to Kitty as he left. Kitty was helping herself to some more pancakes when curiosity overcame her.

"What's an apple-knocker?" she asked. K just started laughing before explaining the varieties of 'outsiders' that came to the yoop.

…...

"Logan! Wait!" Jean called out as she ran to catch up to him. They'd gone on a pick up mission, and although it had at first seemed like an easy one, they had run into trouble from the MRD. Scott had been injured, Storm had been nearly captured and Logan had to drag both of them and the incapacitated new kid out and fly the plane back, not to mention that getting back to Westchester was a mess. With the MRD on their tail he couldn't just fly straight back. It was a wild goose chase that took them hours to return from. He wasn't mad at anyone in particular – well, no one there and no one on the mission. He had already shaken the MRD from their tail when he got a message from Fury asking if they wanted help getting away from them. He thought about what K had told him about her suspicions of Fury and his timing of the call had Logan hot. Fury and SHIELD had not taken a stand one way or the other on mutants. It was likely that if they did, it wouldn't be in their favor it seemed. That, or maybe this was just payback for K not cooperating with him. Either way, Logan thought he should have jumped in sooner or just stayed the hell out of it. This too little too late bullshit was going to get Fury his ass handed to him.

"Logan, where are you going?" Jean asked when she finally caught up to him.

"Need some air. Goin' for a ride." he growled back, the tension was palpable. She handed him a com-link.

"Just in case." she told him "K would kill me if anything bad happened to you." Logan smirked a little. He was feeling a fairly disposable at that moment, but when he took the com he looked at his ring, rolling it on his finger a moment, thinking of the girl it was there for. Much of the tension seemed to wash away.

"Thanks, Jeannie." he said quietly, most of the heat gone from his voice. It set Jean back.

"Are you still going?" she asked him as he stood there looking at his hands. He took a moment to answer. Taking off in a huff didn't seem like the greatest idea at the moment. His eyes wandered up and scanned the fence line. Something felt off suddenly.

"Nah. I'm just gonna head down to the danger room instead." he said fairly calmly, handing the com back to her. He turned and started to walk back to the center of the mansion. "Jeannie, turn on the security system." She was shocked. It wasn't like him to be paranoid like THIS. His paranoid was usually a totally different direction. Mentally she searched out, shocked when she found the mental signatures of several platoons worth of soldiers loaded for bear near the perimeter of the estate. She called out to the few students that had arrived early to be sure they were indoors immediately and when all was clear, she armed the system. Not half an hour had gone by before it was triggered.

…...

Kitty and K were floating on the lake near K's cottage, clad in their bikinis, catching some sun in the late summer. It was probably one of the last days that they'd be able to dress like this. The weather service had forecast a massive thunderstorm for that night, and K was sure it would get cold and stay that way after it passed. But that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy today. Their peace and quiet was interrupted suddenly by a wolf whistle in the woods. Kitty gasped but K just lifted her head slowly in the direction of the man. He was downwind, so she didn't smell him approach. K leaned up on her elbows as Kitty sat up all the way, trying to cover herself a bit.

"Well hot damn. Two pretty little things way out here in the woods. God, I love it up here." The man said, his rifle over his shoulder. "How bout you girls come on over here and get friendly?" K looked him up and down.

"How bout you get the hell off my property before something bad happens to you, stranger?" The man chuckled.

"Why don't you kick me off then, honey? I always wanted to wrestle with a bikini girl." he replied, leering. K considered it a moment before picking up the cell phone next to her on the dock.

"Bill, you think you can come by? We got one of those jackass trespassers here giving us a hard time. …. We're floating in the lake. …. Yeah, he's an ugly cuss. …. Alright. Thanks Bill." K hung up the phone and laid back down. The stranger stared at her like she'd lost her damn mind.

"You really think callin' your boyfriend is gonna scare me off?" He took a few steps towards them when K looked at him again.

"No, in fact I'm hoping it doesn't." she replied calmly. Kitty leaned in close and whispered quietly to K, taking advantage of K's hearing.

_Are you trying to do this no powers?_ She asked K. K just nodded once, Kitty understanding her reluctance. As K sat up and leaned close to Kitty to respond.

"Unless something bad happens, then just let me deal with it. Keep safe." she said very quietly. Kitty nodded in response. The creep had taken to looking for a way to get to the two women, who had floated out to nearly the middle of the lake. Two more men showed up behind him and they talked amongst themselves. One of them pulled out a small pistol and shot the inner tube K was on. Kitty fell off hers and the two were in the lake. He'd actually shot K as well and she thanked her stars it was her rather than Kitty.

"Why don't you two come on over this way." One of them said, leveling his rifle at the women. Shit. Kitty was nervous, ready to phase out in an instant. K leaned close and told her to be ready to go for the dock. K was going to try to wait for the guys to show until another one dropped his back pack and started to undo his belt. Yeah, these guys thought they knew how this was going to unfold.

"Boys, really. You don't want to do this. Just walk away now, while you still can." K told them.

"We're not afraid of your little friends. We'll just shoot the fuckers when they show up. Now come on out NOW." The biggest of the men directed. K took a deep breath and started to swim towards the shore. When her feet hit the bottom, she stood up and started to walk out, hands at her side. The three men were smiling, and the one holding his rifle pointed at her let it slip as she approached them. When the closest one reached out to touch her, she broke his wrist and wrenched the gun from his hands, throwing it over her shoulder into the water as she began disarming the interlopers. The biggest one got a hold of her after he lost his gun, and was holding her tightly to him, groping her and wrenching her top off when she lost her temper. She reached up as he tried to strip her the rest of the way, gouging one of his eyes, making him drop her, backhanding her as she fell. The last one rushed her to find Kitty's fist in his throat before he could make contact with K. The three men stumbled off the way they came, one of them swearing to come back with friends.

"Are you OK?" Kitty started to say, shock on her face when K got back on her feet, blood trails on her side where the man holding her had jammed a knife into her.

"I'm fine." she replied as she covered herself with her arms. Kitty considered her answer and nodded.

"Yeah, Logan would have never gotten that close before they started shooting." Kitty said, K nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, because – boobs." K replied, saddened at how this was going down. "Now we have to get dressed and meet the guys when they show. They won't be called off now." Before she could stand up fully, she heard Bill's voice shout down from the house for her.

"It's fine – they're gone now. Sorry to bother you." K said as she wrapped a towel around herself, trying to wipe away any blood that might be on her.

"You sure, K? We can stick around in case they come back." Bill offered, worried at the state of her. He'd seen the tail end of things. One of the taller men took off his hat as Kitty walked up, still putting her towel around herself.

"No, we got this. But if it makes you feel better, we'll meet you guys for a bite a little later. We're going to have to pack up tomorrow." K offered, pulling her wet hair up off her shoulders into a sloppy pony tail. One of the men she didn't know was eyeing her maybe a little too much as Bill spoke for the group.

"That sounds great. Be nice to grab a beer with ya before you go." He said, waving to Kitty as they turned to leave. "Just call if you have anymore trouble – but I'd get dressed if I was you." K laughed it off but when she turned to face Kitty she pulled her face into a grimace.

"Lets get this going. If we do this right, we can cut out tonight before those jerks get back." K said, wiping the dirt off her face and rushing for the shower. Kitty packed her bags, ready to go on K's word. When she slipped from the shower, she dried off quickly and grabbed some clothes out of her dresser, slipping into a worn pair of blue jeans and a white tank top, pulling Logan's brown flannel around her shoulders to finish her off. Kitty smiled when she saw the shirt. She'd bet just about anything that it still smelled like him, her suspicions confirmed when she caught K turning her head into the collar of the shirt, eyes closed as she inhaled deeply. When they were all ready to go, K threw their most necessary bags into the back of the Jeep. She had a feeling that they'd need to get out quick after the bar.

…...

Back in Westchester, it appeared as though the intruders from the other day were part of hydra. The one that had crossed the wall and gotten fried was wearing their insignia. Logan left, planning on finding out from Cap what the story was, and why they were attacking the mansion. Cap had no insight, Tony's only suspicion was that the computer system had been available to them long enough that they knew who K was now, and what she'd done to Viper. He wasn't expecting it then when he got back from SHIELD that the X-Men as a whole had packed up his things and moved him out into the boat house.

"You guys need some privacy. It's too easy for anyone to bother you when you're here in the house. We thought we'd make it so everyone had to think about it before interrupting you two." Scott told him as he handed over the keys.

"Except Charles and I. We can still interrupt you anytime." Jean teased.

…...

The bar had ended up being a normal night out for the guys, the festivities a little more loud with the boys in the bar posturing, trying to impress Kitty. They'd started up on K, until she stood on the bar and announced that she was now married. The groans around the bar had Kitty laughing, until from the back of the room one of the guys shouted out 'I don't mind if you don't, honey!'. K rolled her eyes as the big Finn pulled her off the bar, slapping her on the ass when he tossed her over his shoulder.

"Hey! Damn it!" K shouted, slapping him back as hard as she could, making him yelp and let go, K slipping to the floor. The party continued, Kitty at it's center now, getting worn out from all the attention they were laying on her. She tried to follow K's advice on not leading them on, but it seemed that any tiny bit of kindness or politeness was translated into attraction. Kitty found herself getting dragged out of the bar by K, both of them waving at the boys as they climbed into Logan's Jeep, ready to pack up and head back. They were almost back to the cottage to finish packing the last things and lock up for winter when they hit a road block. Stopping short of the two trucks blocking the road, K spotted 5 men in front of them. Before she could get the jeep into reverse, headlights flipped on behind them. Kitty's eyes went wide. They had them trapped. K turned off the jeep, pulling the com link out of the glove box and handing it to Kitty.

"When I say, you take that com and run. Run straight into the woods, as far and fast as you can. Phase out and get out of their reach. Call for help if I don't come get you in an hour's time, alright?" K told her, hand on the ignition switch, ready to fight if need be. Kitty started to protest.

"No. You will run. Logan will never forgive me if you end up hurt on this trip. Please." K told her, taking off the soft brown flannel and handing it to Kitty. "It's getting cold out there. Keep warm." Kitty looked at her in shock.

"No! I'm going to help you." She set the shirt down on the backseat, the com next to it. K sighed, and grudgingly agreed, stepping out of the Jeep to confront the strangers.

"I don't know who you are, but we're just trying to go home. I don't want any trouble fellas." K said calmly, walking towards them, the doors of the truck behind them slamming shut after four more men piled out of it.

They didn't say a word, just rushed them, grabbing K by the elbows and slamming her into the jeep's hood face first, tying her wrists together behind her back. She tried to sit up only to have one of them bash her in the face, blood erupting as she fell to her side. Kitty panicked, rushing for her when one of the men grabbed at her, Kitty phasing through him, not thinking of it.

"She's a damn mutant!" one of them shouted as they rushed around Kitty. "I'll bet the other one is too – get 'em!" Several of the men started beating on K while one of them started to pull at her jeans, K too punch drunk to do anything as they worked her over. Kitty ran through them to K, trying to help her, unable to get a hold of her as they threw K's limp half naked body face down over a dropped tail gate. One of the biggest men pushed himself against her, pinning her in place.

"Think you can hurt my brother and get away with it?" the big man barked at K. "He lost an eye because of you, ya little bitch." Kitty was shouting at her when she got punched, knocking her dazed to the ground, several men rushing her now too. Kitty's scream finally reached K, breaking through the fog of her injuries. She felt his hand between her legs and instinct took over. She popped her claws through his stomach and began to truly wriggle her arms to the front of her. Red hot rage washed over her as she hacked and slashed her way through the would be assailants starting with the man that was pulling Kitty's jeans down while she screamed and kicked, unable to focus in the chaos enough to implement her powers. Kitty stayed back against the jeep and watched, if nothing else to avoid K's claws as she practically danced through them, collapsing covered in blood and shaking as the last one fell. Kitty recognized the crash to reality and cautiously went to her side.

"K?" Kitty said quietly, watching her mentor's new wife carefully as she tried to find her way back to sanity after the first real berserk moment Kitty had ever witnessed from her. She knew it hadn't happened in training sessions. Kitty knew it was probably safe, and she helped her to her feet, leading her to the passenger side of the jeep, untying her hands for her as K stared at her bloodied hands. Kitty maneuvered around the trucks and finished the drive to K's cottage, leading her inside and helping her strip down and get into the shower. As K melted to the floor of the shower, blood washing off her, Kitty sat on the sink, waiting for her to pull it together. Thunder rumbled overhead. That woke her up. She scrubbed herself clean, then dried off in her bedroom, dressing and packing the remainder of her clothes for the trip, leaving only a change or two behind. Kitty grabbed her last bag and they walked out to the jeep, K tossing her bags into the back of the jeep and hopping in the driver's seat without a word yet. They'd driven for three hours before K finally spoke, asking if she was alright and apologizing for getting her hurt.


	6. Self Doubt and Reassurances

Kitty offered to take over driving several times, but K only complied when they were back in New York. When they got to the mansion, K stumbled out of the back of the jeep in a daze. She headed up to their shared room only to find it completely empty. She stood there for a moment in shock. Unsure of what the hell was going on or what it meant. Dazed, she made her way downstairs. She grabbed her bag out of the back of the jeep and threw it over her shoulder. She didn't know what she was supposed to do, so she looked over the key rack for her Harley key. As she pulled it off the hook Remy's voice echoed quietly through the hall way.

"Leavin' so soon, petit?" he asked, wondering why she'd leave without saying goodbye to anyone after just returning. She didn't know how to respond so she just started towards the garage.

"Wait, chere. You want your man, Remy can take you to him. He's here." Remy told her. "He didn't go runnin' off no where. Come on." He offered her his hand, aware that she wasn't entirely herself by her lack of smart assed commentary. Wary and tired, she didn't know what to do, so she followed him. He led her outside and towards the woods. She was ready to fight, her claws coming out the further they got from the house. She didn't know what kind of trick this was, but she didn't like it and she was still worn out from the fight with the pack of creeps. There was a light on in the boat house and Remy knocked, smiling at her. When Logan opened the door he was shocked at her appearance. She looked like hell. There was no smile or laugh on her face when she saw him. His face fell.

"Darlin' what happened?" he asked her quietly as he went to her, ignoring the claws protruding from her fist, taking her bag and kissing her. She didn't relax until he nuzzled into her neck, his scent surrounding her. Suddenly she retracted her claws and put her arms around him, tears sliding down her face as he hushed her, nodding to Remy then picking her up to carry her inside. He laid her down on the bed, climbing in next to her, waiting for her to settle so he could find out what was so very wrong. He left her to rest, figuring he'd talk with her in the morning.

After a fitful night's sleep, they sat down to talk over coffee. After hearing part of it, he was furious.

He was mad that she'd gotten into trouble, mad that Kitty had gotten caught up in it, and mad that she hadn't called him for help. K on the other hand agreed with him on every count. This had happened on her turf. She loved that place, and now she didn't know that she could ever feel safe there again. So much had happened since the last time she was there, and now, thinking back, she was getting depressed thinking that it may now have been the last time she saw the place. Not wanting to explain herself further, she stood up to leave. He grabbed her arm as she tried to pass, K pulling it away from him and looking more dejected than he'd seen her before.

"Where you runnin' off to now?" He barked at her, still wanting more details on how they'd gotten out of the road block. She bit her cheek as she walked out the door, trying to keep herself from crying. She was so focused on getting away she didn't see Kitty as she approached the boat house. Kitty stepped out of her way as she broke into a run towards the woods, staring at her retreating form as she left.

Kitty was almost to the boat house when Logan stepped out, looking irritated. He froze when he saw the bruises that littered Kitty's face and arms.

"Half pint." he said, sadness on his face.

"Why did she run off?" Kitty asked, her voice firm and even. Logan shook his head.

"We were arguin' and she just got up and left. I was goin' after her now." He told her, sniffing the wind to find her direction. "Look at you. I've never seen you so bruised up."

"Did she tell you all of it? How she snapped when one of them was ready to … she snapped." Kitty said, flustered when she couldn't say what nearly happened. "They beat her so badly. I know they knocked her out. I don't know how she got up from it." Logan furrowed his brow. K hadn't said anything about it.

"How do you know they knocked her out?" Logan asked, warily watching Kitty's reaction.

"The guy broke his hand when he hit her. She went limp after that." Kitty replied.

"What happened, kitten. Tell me all of it." He told her, holding her by the shoulders. Kitty went through it, Logan pushing for every detail that Kitty could remember, and becoming very quiet when Kitty told him about her berserker attack on the men. The description on how she went from next to nothing at all, not even defending herself to raging destruction hitting him close to home. Now he knew why she was so quiet. Aside from the experience being emotionally draining, it was a mind fuck. No matter how it turned out, good or bad, the sense of guilt and failed responsibility was overwhelming.

"How long did it take her to act like herself again?" Logan asked quietly. Kitty just stared at him, shaking her head. "How long, Kitten?" She looked away as she hugged herself.

"She didn't speak for about four hours." Kitty replied, feeling guilty herself now. Logan was shocked. It must have been bad. It never took him more than an hour at worst to force himself past the self blame afterward. "But she wasn't acting right even when we got back." she finished.

He darted off to catch up with her, running in earnest as he looked for her, finally spotting her as she ducked off the trail and into the thick underbrush. He followed her, both of them moving silently. He tracked her until she thought she'd lost him, sitting down on a log, hidden in the ferns. He watched her as she cried silently, the tears slipping down her cheeks freely while she sat there, stony faced and still. After a while, she finally sighed, looking up to the sky as she pulled her hair down, wiping the tears from her face and off her jaw. Scoffing and chastising herself mentally. She felt worthless. She considered her options, worried that her rotten luck was going to rub off on those around her. The rage that flowed when she realized that Kitty was in eminent danger was something she hadn't tapped into in decades. She both loved and hated when it happened. She loved the laser focus, the sensation that the world was moving in slow motion as her body went into overdrive. She hated the loss of control over her actions and emotions as her rage washed over her, subduing all mercy and empathy. In truth, she knew it was terrifying for both her victims and herself. She still felt guilty though, as she didn't know if it was Kitty's attack or the fact that the man holding her down made a move to assault her. She felt as though she was failing one way or another. Either she was a horrible person for not being spurned to help Kitty, or she was a horrible wife for not getting enraged when a man other than her husband made a move to get in her pants.

She wasn't too surprised though when Logan finally made his presence known, silently moving in to sit next to her. He kissed her with no warning, K was surprised when she realized that his anger was gone.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" he asked her quietly. Without thinking it over further, she answered honestly.

"No. Not really. Not sure if I failed Kitty or you." she admitted as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Neither, darlin'. I think you reacted to both threats." he told her, trying to reassure her. "You did the best you could at the time." she began to cry again, still low. "Honey, come on. What else is it – please tell me." he said, holding her tighter as she cried.

"I'm going to have to sell the cottage now." she said. He was sure you could hear her heart breaking at the prospect.

"No. You just need to be sure I'm with you next time you go. Let me protect you." he told her. "Don't sell it." She looked at him, not believing her ears.

"I wanna see it." he told her. "We broke in my place real well. Gotta do the same for yours." he finished with a smile, waggling his eyebrows – an attempt to get a smile. She smirked a little and nodded.

"Fine, I'll wait until you've christened it." K said. "Then I'll get rid of it." she stared at the ground as she said it. He kissed her, pulling her to her feet.

"Come on, let's go home. I know just what you need after a fiasco like that. Just wish I could have seen you do it." he told her. She shrugged a little, following his lead instinctively.

Logan kissed her on the temple. She was shocked when his treatment for her overload consisted of spoiling her with some damned good food, moonshine, and a very frisky husband.

…...

The opening day of school snuck up on them. Scott posted up fliers for the various clubs and trips they'd planned for the year. K's classes were once again very full – most of the students staying on just as a means to relax and socialize. Those that were most interested signed up for the weekend riding club that promised trail rides and more advanced techniques. Logan had talked K into assisting in his self defense class, seeing as the student's most hated part of his class was when someone had to attack him. He reciprocated by joining her group for the trail rides – the group being big enough that another adult being there for backup was not only a good idea, but required by Charles. Things were starting to chug along well, everyone's classes were fuller than they could remember, the mansion bustling with activity all the time. By the time the holidays were drawing close, everyone was well into their routine. It was all the more disruptive then when Logan started packing their bags.

"What now?" K asked. "You need to get away from me already?" she teased. He smirked, and picked up her half full bag.

"Nope. We're going to spend a little time at your place. Long overdue." he told her. Her smile fell as she shook her head.

"No, I don't think so. It's been winterized already and I'm not in a rush to go back." she said, half afraid that just by being there something bad would happen.

"Sweetheart, we're goin'. The boat house is nice, but I've heard Kitty talkin' about your place and I wanna see it. Sooner the better." he said, his tone indicating that there wasn't an option here.

"But winter's not her best season. Fall is when it's best." she said, trying to find a loophole anywhere.

"Don't matter. I"m not waitin' a year to get you up there. Snow don't bother me. Come on. If you don't want to go that badly, we'll go to my cabin instead, of course, we go to my place we might as well plan on stayin' till spring." he told her, no option to skip this time.

"What about the riding club?" she asked. He smiled at her.

"Laura and Kitty have it covered if the kids want to go." he told her, pulling out a winter coat for her.

It was decided then. She finished her packing and the two made it to the kitchen before Remy stopped them.

"You goin' north, Mon ami?" he asked Logan, who nodded in response.

"Kinda in a hurry too, gumbo. I'll see ya in a week or so." K stopped dead.

"A week?" she was shocked. Logan frowned as he pulled her to the garage. He started out driving, following the same route that she'd taken with Kitty. K had taken over before the crossing, telling him it was her favorite part of the trip, aside from getting to her place. Logan was smirking to himself as they crossed into the upper, K smiling in spite of the wind advisories on the bridge that required they go across in convoys, the jeep rocking and getting pushed with every hard blow over the straits as they passed. When they got close, K frowned. The road out was freshly plowed. She turned to Logan.

"Did you call Bill?" she asked, curious as to how long this was planned. He shook his head.

"Nope. Wanted you all to myself." He replied. K cautiously turned down the road, following the path all the way to her place, a path to the door was even shoveled out.

"Does he do this all winter?" she wondered aloud as they went up to the locked cabin door. Everything was in place, no scent but dust lingering in the air as K pulled in some wood to start a fire. Logan looked around the place with a little smirk on his face. It was better than Kitty had described. Simple, but cozy. Well insulated, and the view, even though the lake was frozen, was fantastic. The waterwheel still turned, slower than before, the creek apparently not yet cold enough to freeze. He locked the door behind her when she came in, and stalked up behind her. K jumped as he carefully picked her hair up off her neck from behind her before starting on biting and kissing her neck, his free arm wrapping around her waist, pulling her to him. They didn't get much further when there was a knock at the door. K straightened her clothes out a bit and sat up as Logan got the door, finding Bill and one of his friends, shocked to see K's husband there.

"Oh, good, you're both here." Bill said, unconvincingly. "Had to check on you, K. There was a bunch of them down staters got hacked up on the road after you left last time. We been keepin a close eye out for strangers since then." he said as K nodded, pulling off an innocent look very convincingly.

"Thanks for lookin' out for her." Logan said, his hand outstretched. "Good to know she's got an extra set of eyes on her when I'm not around."

Bill looked down as he took Logans' handshake and nodded.

"Uh, sure. No problem. Just give a call if ya need anything." He replied, Logan nodding once before he closed the door turning back to K, ready to start in where he'd left off.

"He's mad I'm here." Logan said as he slid next to her on the rug, unbuttoning her jeans.

"I don't know that he's mad," K said. "disappointed maybe." she teased as he lunged forward, biting her neck and making her laugh as he started his attack.

…...

It had started to snow, and the fire was dying out when Logan threw a few more logs on. He looked at his wife, half asleep on the carpet, wrapped in a throw blanket and decided it was time to get her into bed. He slid over to her and picked her up, startling her a little. She wrapped her arms around his neck, helping him to balance her as he carried her to bed. He set her down gently on top of the bed and smiled as she stretched, before she pulled the covers and slipped between the flannel sheets she liked so much. They didn't get much sleep once they were in bed. The cold in the room coupled with their naked skin as they cuddled up together was too much for them to ignore. Sleep would have to wait.

They were taking a break to catch their breath when they heard a truck coming down her road. Before she could make it to the bedroom door however, Logan caught her arm.

"I know Bill's yer buddy, but there's no god damned way you're walking out there in your birthday suit. Get in bed, I'm not done with you yet." Logan growled out, taking K off guard, and earning him a saucy grin at the same time. He walked out long enough to see that the front door was locked before he came back and slid under the covers, kissing her into the mattress, her legs sliding over his hips as she urged him onward. They were having a hell of a good time. When he had finally finished with her for the morning, he left her in bed, out of breath, legs shaking and body quivering to make her some coffee, which he brought back with him.

"Going to have to feed you if you don't bounce back faster than that, darlin'." he teased as he handed her a mug. He'd gotten her so overcharged that the simple sensation of his hand on hers had her nerves firing. In fact, everything he did was making her body sing.

"Better watch it mister. Turn about is fair play." she teased as she let the flannel sheet fall from her chest while she took a drink. As she finished her sip and started to lower the mug, he took it from her hand, setting in on the bedside table as he kissed her, sliding in next to her and finally pulling her on top of him.

"I thought I wasn't allowed on top." she said as he slid into her. He closed his eyes, leaning his head further into the pillows as his hands drifted up to her hips.

He just smirked at her, enjoying himself as she moved over him.

"I'm not worried." he told her, leaning up towards her and pulling her into a kiss.

…...

The next few days were a blur for both of them. It was a replay of their time at his cabin, but with the addition of a few extra rooms to christen, and the added entertainment of snow, and feeding the fire to keep warm when they weren't tangled up together. They'd taken the time to get dressed for a change and were snuggled up on her couch, looking at the snow coming down on the lake when Bill knocked on the door. Logan let him in, unwilling to let his wife too close to another man – particularly one he didn't know and trust.

"Just stopping in to see if you two needed anything. I'm headed to town, so say the word." He said, looking crestfallen at the sleepy grin on K's face as she deferred to Logan.

"I think we're good. Only gonna be around a few more days anyhow." Logan told him.

"Do you usually keep my drive open?" K asked, her eyes scrunched.

"Well, I try to. Hard to check on the place if I can't get out here." he said.

"I didn't think you checked on it all winter. Thanks, but you really don't need to." she told him, earning a shrug from him.

"I guess I just like it open. Gives me somethin' to do." he said, smiling sadly as he waved good bye.

Logan closed the door as Bill left. Looking at K seriously.

"Don't come here alone." Logan said as he looked over his shoulder at Bill's retreating form through the window. K was perplexed.

"Why?" she asked, dumbfounded "Bill's never given me any trouble." she said, shock clear on her face.

"I don't trust him. There's something off." Logan told her, his face dead serious. She was torn. Bill was one of her oldest friends, but there was no way she'd make Logan uncomfortable, so without asking any further clarification, she simply agreed.

They were both worn out by the time they were ready to leave. K was so tired in fact, that he insisted they spend one more night just to sleep, of all things. He woke up the next morning to her side of the bed empty and the scent of coffee thick in the air. He made his way to the kitchen, finding her busily making breakfast in nothing but his flannel. He came up behind her, slipping his hands up her body under the flannel until he was cupping her breasts, and nibbling on her neck.

"Not what I had in mind for breakfast, darlin'." he growled. She turned off the stove quickly and turned to face him as he picked her up, moving her to the counter, her legs around him for one last romp before they headed back to reality.

Their timing on arrival back at the institute was impeccable. All of the preparations for the holidays was done. They had just two days before Christmas, and Logan's plan was to spend most of it alone with her. He didn't however, count on the women of the mansion not letting her get out of their shopping trip.


	7. Spreading the Love

"You're coming with us. That's all there is to it." Jean told her, Storm, Rogue and Kitty standing behind her, some smirking as K peeked through the crack in the front door of the boat house, a sheet covering her. K scowled at her.

"I'm busy. Don't try again later." K tried as Jean used her abilities to keep the door from closing, even going so far as to open it further, Kitty smiling widely and covering her eyes when she saw Logan naked in bed, barely covered with the blanket, waiting for K to return.

"Jean, maybe another time." Kitty said, laughing to herself that the newlyweds were still taking every opportunity to jump each other.

"No, we're going. Come on, K." Jean tried. "You don't even have to get dressed up, just let's go."

K looked at her a moment, knowing full well how to end the conversation. She nodded her head and agreed, Logan looking a little disappointed in the background until K dropped the sheet and made to step out of the door, buck naked.

"Fine. I don't have to get dressed, let's go." she said, her head held high as Logan wrapped the blanket around his waist, ready to pull her inside and lock the door.

"K! What the hell are you doing? You can't go anywhere like that!" Jean shrieked as K stopped and looked at her as if she was insane

"You just said I didn't have to get dressed up. THIS is my outfit today. Special request from my husband, so that's what I'm wearing." K said, keeping a straight face as though Jean was chastising her for wearing the wrong skirt to church. Storm smiled, turning her head modestly and laughing to herself as she finally saw first hand one of the things that Logan had been initially drawn to as the man himself grabbed her by the arm pulling her back inside.

"Don't you start with me, mister or I will snatch that blanket off you right now." K warned, getting Logan to back off a hair as he closed the door.

"Come on back to bed, or at least get dressed or you're going to give Jeannie a heart attack." he grumbled, wishing she'd come back and make good on some of the promises she'd made earlier. K smiled at him.

"What did you think I was trying to do?" She asked him, snatching off his blanket and sending him back to their bedroom. Before he could get all the way back she opened the door again.

Rogue smiled with Storm, the two of them grinning at Logan's retreating backside.

"K! Get dressed! All of us would rather be with our men than shopping, but -"Jean started to say before K cut her off.

"Then be with them. GO. Get naked, have some fun for christsakes. YOU my fine friend need to get laid. No shopping today. I'm serious. Surprise your men, they'd be happier with that than they would ever be with any piece of crap you pick up at the mall." K said, raising a few eyebrows and stunning Jean as she closed the door and got back to her planned activities for the day, Logan's laughter echoing through the boat house. The ladies of the mansion stared at each other mischievously before Storm was the first to respond by nodding her head.

"She has a point." Storm said, turning back towards the house to draw Forge's attention from his work in the hangar. Kitty blushed deeply and followed Storm's lead, looking for Piotr, while Jean and Rogue stared at each other.

"What has gotten into everyone?" Jean said, frustrated.

"Looks like a little bit of feral, sugar. From what I saw when she leant me her power? She's got a damn good reason to stay in bed." Rogue replied as they started up toward the car. As much as Rogue would like to act on her desires, she still didn't have things with a fine enough handle, and Jean and Scott were in the middle of an argument at the moment so the pair headed out to brave the last minute shoppers together.

Logan and K were in the kitchen of the mansion when Jean and Rogue returned, laden with shopping bags, Jean shooting K a dirty look.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Jean asked, a cranky tone to her voice. Logan raised an eyebrow as K handled the snarkiness.

"Hydrating." she said pointedly as she tossed an empty water bottle into the garbage. Logan smirked as Jean rolled her eyes, unable to keep from chuckling at K's commentary as she left the kitchen. Rogue looked a little embarrassed as she followed Jean, laden with nearly as many bags as she was. K watched her go then got an idea.

"Whatever you're thinkin', just don't." Logan warned leaning on the counter. With her best shocked and innocent look she stared at him, wide eyed and open mouthed.

"What did I do?" K said. "Why would you assume I'd do anything that was less than helpful?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her his crossed his arms over his chest as she approached him.

"Trouble. Maker." he replied, sliding his hands around her waist as a smirk snuck onto her previously innocent expression.

"Ye of little faith." she said, leaning into him for a kiss before slipping out of his hands and heading down the hall. "I'll be right with you, love. Just have to do something." she said over her shoulder leaving Logan to his own devices.

K found Rogue unloading her bags in her room, she knocked on the door, leaning in the door frame, smiling.

"Hey there Dixie belle. Whatcha doin'?" K asked her earning a sassy smile from Rogue.

"Aren't you supposed to be workin' Logan over?" Rogue asked, blushing a little as she thought of K's memories.

"Gotta let him heal a little. Don't want to break him." K said as she strode in, flopping down next to her. "What about you? Don't you ever get to make Remy squirm?"

"Not like that." Rogue replied. "I just gotta live vicariously through other people's memories." she said, looking at K meaningfully. K looked a little surprised.

"Oh. Well, that just sucks." K said, thinking of how awful it must be to have glimpses into other's memories of intimacy, unable to experience it first hand. "How do we remedy that?"

Rogue just laughed at her.

"We don't sugar. I gotta get control of my abilities before anything like that could ever happen." Rogue replied, a hint of sadness to her voice.

"Do you want to?" K asked "Not control the powers, I mean do you want to get down and dirty?" Rogue slapped her arm.

"Course I do!" She looked incredulous. "I just can't." K wrinkled her nose.

"Gotta be a way." K said, her voice clearly showing how unconvinced she was as she was shaking her head slightly.

"Don't you think I've worked every angle of this?" Rogue asked, sadness and frustration clear in her tone.

"You're missing something. Has to be a way." K replied. Rogue just shook her head.

"Well, if you figure it out, let me know." She said dryly. "Now, if you don't mind, I have some presents to wrap and I'd like to do it in private." She wasn't angry with K, she just wanted to change the subject. K smiled at her in spite of the cold shoulder.

"Alright, have fun." she told her as she strode out and down the hall to Jean's door, raising her hand to knock when Jean called her in.

"What brings you to my boudoir? Need to borrow it?" Jean teased.

"Maybe. Why aren't you using it properly?" K countered.

"We can't all be screwing all the time, K." Jean said, trying to shame her into acting a little more like a grown up. "We have to set an example."

"An example? We set an example in classes and on missions. What happens in the bedroom is not what we set examples with." K replied. "Besides, I was serious. You need to get some tension out, but that's not why I'm here, I have a much more noble cause." Jean looked up at her, shaking her head already.

"If she wants help, she'll come to me or Charles." Jean said, determined to not get in the middle.

"Well, that's the thing. I don't think she will, or she would have already. Even I know you can just flip her switch. You gotta offer her the help. She'll take it. I'm sure of it." K replied.

"Not everyone lives and dies by how much sex they have K. It's not that important to most people." Jean replied, K taking it as a jab at her animalistic side.

"Well not if they haven't done it." K said, her arms crossed. "Or if they're not doing it right. If it's not a good time, you need practice. Practice makes perfect right?" K said, turning and leaving Jean with her thoughts.

Storm nearly ran into her at the bottom of the stairs, looking a bit disheveled.

"Have some fun, 'Ro?" K smiled, happy that at least one of them had followed her advice. Storm simply smiled shyly, looking at the ground.

"Yes, quite a bit actually." she replied, half laughing as she ascended the stairs, Forge hot on her heels a moment or two after, nearly bumping in to K as he followed her. No one had seen Kitty since she'd come back into the mansion hours ago. Logan was in the danger room, slicing and dicing when K got down there, joining Scott in the control booth. Scott smiled at her as she took the seat next to him, watching Logan tear it up. She looked to the panel, checking that the microphone was off before talking to Scott.

"So, you need to show me how to run this thing." K said, looking at the buttons and switches, monitors and what not with interest.

"Yeah? Why the sudden interest?" Scott asked as he tweaked a setting on the aliens attacking Logan below.

"Well, so you don't have to be here for every session. You have other things to take care of." K said innocently, and to Scott, reasonably for a moment. Suddenly he turned his head towards her.

"Wait. What else do I have to do?" Scott asked, his brow scrunched up. Without looking up from Logan she calmly replied as if she was discussing the weather with him.

"Your wife needs a few good orgasms. A day. For at least a week." She told him as one of the creatures below flung Logan into the glass in front of them, shaking the wall. Scott's mouth dropped open.

"Excuse me?" he asked sputtering. She turned and looked him in the eye.

"You heard me. It's not like you wouldn't get some good out of it either. You could do with some endorphins too, big guy." K told him, turning her attention to Logan again. "Take my husband for example." she said, gesturing towards the bloodied man below, roaring as he was tearing into anything close to him. "How much fun was he to be around before we got … involved?" she asked looking to Scott now for a response. He shook his head, having to admit how grumpy he was, how on edge he was all the time. How in addition to some regular female attention, his getting married had given him some peace that was actually palpable to all those around him. "Now," she continued before Scott actually answered. "What would that kind of action have on those that haven't been so damned angry for so long? It's good for you both. Get on it." she said with a finality. Scott had to agree on some levels as K stood up.

"Where are you going now?" Scott asked. "Don't I need to teach you?" K smiled in response.

"Maybe later. I think hubby needs to push himself. He's going through the motions down there." she replied, leaving the control booth and opening the door to the danger room, slipping in, interrupting the simulation for a second, Logan looking toward her, questioning why she was there as the sim restarted, attacking both of them. Logan was taken back a moment, and suddenly fought with a greater ferocity watching K get flung across the room. Scott smiled in the booth. K was bringing a breath of fresh air to everyone she could. Jean entered the booth not long after K left, watching the couple work towards each other, never truly having had an opportunity to work together on something. Suddenly, Scott killed the program, leaving both of them looking around, dazed.

"What gives, Scooter?" Logan shouted up. "We were just getting' goin'."

"I know. That's just it." Scott said. "Start together this time. New simulation." The couple looked at each other not sure where this was headed. As Scott reset the system, they met in the center of the room, Logan leaning over to give her a kiss.

"Lookin' good out there, darlin'." he told her. Before she could do more than smile, the room shifted. Scott had changed the scenery to a dark industrial complex, and within a few moments, they were over run by attackers. Logan instinctively pushed K behind him, not expecting her to turn around, the two of them back to back, moving together hacking and slashing as the MRD agents around them tried to subdue them. Scott smiled in the booth.

"That's what I hoped would happen." he said to Jean, who was watching the events unfold, wide eyed. "Logan's biggest downfall, outside of his hot temper, has always been that he couldn't watch his back real well. With her? I have no doubt these two could clear the room." Indeed that's what they did too, As the last couple of agents began to retreat, Scott threw in a sentinel, surprising K to the point that she lost her footing, Logan catching her before she hit the ground.

"The fuck is that goddamned thing!?" She half shouted, as Logan helped her to her feet.

"Sentinel. Nasty business." Logan replied. "Follow my lead, darlin'." he told her, K hesitantly hot on his heels as he ran up to the robot, climbing one leg as K did the other. Logan was on it's shoulders when he removed the head, K dodging the falling hunk of metal then sinking her claws in and sliding down it's chest, pulling wires out as she did so. By the time Logan's feet his the ground, the pair had sliced it right down the middle into two large hunks.

"Alright you two. Enough damage for today. Forge is gonna have his work cut out repairing this one." Scott said, reaching to call him up to get the robot.

"Scott, let him get it later, he's um …. busy. Right now." K said, pulling a face and shrugging at Logan when the men realized where Forge was. Logan laughed and pounced at his woman, pinning her easily as she kissed him, hands fisted in his hair. The room cleared itself of everything but the damaged sentinel.

"Lock up when you're done, Logan." Scott said, Logan waving a hand over his shoulder at him as he worked over K. Scott laughed and turned to Jean.

"Scott. What are you doing?" Jean asked as Scott smiled at her as he strode up to her, pinning her against the wall and following K's advice, Jean barely getting him to take it to a more private room, not wanting to be over heard, or hear the couple in the danger room below.

…...

Jean was surprised later that evening long after K and Logan found their way back to the boat house that Rogue pulled her aside asking for help controlling her powers.

"Can you turn em off for me? Not permanent, just for Christmas." Rogue asked. "We can work on them after the holiday, but I want to try and give Remy a surprise." Jean's eyebrows popped up and she nodded silently for a second.

"Yes, of course. Are you sure?" Jean asked. Rogue laughed.

"I'm more than sure. Just gotta find a way to make this happen. Been far too long in waitin'." she replied, thanking Jean for her help ahead of time and surprising her as she made her way through the halls hanging up bundles of mistletoe in preparation of Christmas the next day.

…...

To say that most of the kids at the Institute were in a good mood would be an understatement of massive proportions. Those that were new were nervous, sure that their new life was going to be one filled with disappointments. The teachers and staff at the school however, were not going to let that be the case. Nearly everyone had made a concerted effort to make sure every child in the building was getting at least a couple things for themselves. K and Logan made their way up to the mansion, the festivities for the day getting into full swing. K made her way towards the kitchen, surprised as hell when one of the mouthier students suddenly grabbed her on her way in, pulling her into a sloppy kiss. She pushed him away, ready to slap him when he pointed up, grinning.

"Mistletoe. Can't be mad, just wishing you a merry whatever." He backpedaled quickly though when Logan grabbed a hold of him, growling until K put her hand on his shoulder, looking at the boy.

"Very funny. Don't try that shit again. You got your laugh." K told him, wiping her mouth. Logan releasing the boy. Before they could turn around though, Rogue tapped Logan on the shoulder, pulling him into a kiss as soon as he turned to face her, his natural reaction to her being shock and trying to pull back away from her, realizing that she wasn't absorbing his abilities or memories. Rogue grinned at him, as K started to smile.

"Found a way, did ya?" K asked, her arms crossed. Rogue blushed

"Yeah. Sorry about that, Logan, K. Didn't want to try it out on Remy until I knew for sure." She grinned and gave K a hug. "Don't worry, I won't do it again." she skipped off positively chipper looking for Remy.

K handed Logan a cup of coffee, kissing him as he took it. He pulled a face, scowling at her when she pulled back. She slumped her shoulders.

"Is it that bad?" she asked, he frowned nodding his head as he looked toward the mouthy teen that had kissed his wife. "I'll wash up then." she told him, slipping off to the bathroom to clean her face quickly, Logan sniffing her while he kissed his way up and down her neck, kissing the breath out of her when he finally met her lips.

"Better." he growled out, light flashing in his icy blue eyes, the heat rising in the pit of her stomach suddenly. Her eyes drifted to his lips as she leaned back in to him, coffee and current company forgotten as she lost herself in him. He managed to settle her down a bit, promising to make it up to her tonight. For once it was K that was on edge, ready to drag him off and have her way with him. She just needed to feel him. It was hard to focus for her. The first chance she got, she pulled him away, kissing her way down his torso.

"Darlin' ... " Logan said as she undid his pants, and started to stroke him. He opened his mouth to ask her what had gotten into her when she gave him a look and told him to shut up and enjoy it, silencing him as he simply braced himself and let her do as she pleased to him, happy to assist her however she wanted.

…...

Betsy looked around the room, glancing over the thoughts of those around when she noticed that Logan and K were missing. She reached out, looking for him and gasped, catching him at just the right moment, flustered a bit as he lost his control over himself in a wave of pleasure. Warren asked her if she was alright as she fanned herself, her eyes wide as she pulled him into a deep kiss, mentally telling him to move his ass to an abandoned room. NOW. They rushed down the hall, nearly bumping into Logan and K as he pulled her with him back towards the party, pressing her against the wall as Warren and Betsy passed, attacking her neck and lifting her skirt. Warren was taken back at Logan's behavior, but didn't have time to process as Betsy pushed him into an open office, locking the door behind them as she prepared to try a few of the more interesting parts of K's technique that she'd caught Logan thinking about. Logan dragged K towards the door, Jean shaking her head as she realized there was little chance that they were going to stick around much longer.

"Are you two staying for dinner?" Jean asked, knowing that wasn't going to happen.

"Sorry, Jeannie. Got to take care of somethin'. Be back quick as we can." Logan said as he snatched up K, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her toward their bungalow. They passed Jubilee and Paige who were having a snowball fight with a few other kids on their way.

"Where you goin', Wolvie?" Jubilee asked. Logan didn't miss a step, shouting to her as he passed.

"Goin' to unwrap my present." He smirked, squeezing K's thigh when she squirmed, always nervous about his innuendos around the students. Most of them giggled, catching his meaning while Jubilee rolled her eyes. It seemed like every spare second he had lately was being used bedding K. Didn't the honeymoon phase taper off at some point? It had to be exhausting.

They made it back in time for dinner, and they looked completely relaxed, curled up in a corner together, his legs surrounding her as she leaned into his chest, his arms around her as the staff passed out presents and the students laughed. He couldn't remember a time where he'd felt so damn contented.


	8. Bonding Processes

With the holidays past, and classes restarted, it was a constant bustle at the institute. When you added in missions and training time it was positively hectic. It wasn't unusual to see both students and teachers half asleep in the window seats littering the library and living rooms. Add to that late night lovemaking sessions and you had K's schedule. It was draining, but exciting.

Scott had been so pleased with how easily Logan and K worked together in the danger room that he pushed to get them training together. At first, Logan was hesitant, as one would expect him to be, but once they'd done a few sessions together he realized how intuitively they were working. He didn't have to direct her like he did with most of the others when they paired up, she was just always right where he wanted her to be. They were running a session together with Charles overseeing when suddenly their simulation stopped, Charles asking them both to join him in the booth. As soon as they left the danger room, he restarted the program for the rest of the team below.

"What's wrong, Charlie?" Logan asked as he pulled out a chair for K to have a seat.

"Have either of you become aware that you are sharing a very subtle psychic bond?" He asked, both of them staring at him wide eyed at his revelation.

"I'm sorry what?" K said, turning her ear towards him, as if she could have misheard. Charles chuckled as he reiterated what he had observed, pulling up a section of their session so they could see. In it, it was clear that as they were fighting nearly back to back, Logan saw something while K's head was turned that she clearly did not. Without saying a word, she dodged the flying piece of shrapnel – according to Charles, exactly in the manner that Logan was mentally shouting at her to move.

"It's not very well defined, but particularly when the both of you are in a fighting mindset, the focus you have seems to open it up. You may be able to expand this further." He told them, offering to help them find a way to take advantage of this possible development. They looked at each other for a moment, unsure of what to make of it. Logan made the first move.

"Sure. Let us know when you want us." he said, slightly surprising K. Charles smiled warmly and they finished out the remainder of the team session from the booth, Charles deciding that they relied on the destructive couple a bit too much, and wanting them to practice without them in the event that something bad should happen to one or both of them. Upon ending the session, the rest of the team looked much worse for wear than they had been in recent months. Scott realized that the professor was right – they've been relying far too heavily on Logan for years, and with K in the mix it was that much easier for them to simply hang back and let them do the lions share of the damage – both taking it and giving it.

It was nearly a week after the new year before Logan and K started going to sessions with Charles, trying to find the trigger to their subconscious bond that Charles had discovered. Both Logan and K found the process to be tedious and frustrating.

"You need to tap into that state of mind when you're fighting to access it." Charles told them, smiling, encouraging them. "It will be a bit harder to do since your abilities are not based in the mental, but rather the physical and physiological." K rubbed her face with her hands, a headache blooming with her frustration.

"You're getting close K. Keep trying." Charles told her, his eyes brightening up. Frustrated, she vented.

"You want me to tap into my fighting mindset? Fucking throw something at me. This is just ….. UGH!" She growled out, breaking Logan's concentration as he smiled to himself.

"Would you like to know what Logan's thinking?" Charles asked. "If you open your mind, you can."

"What _he's _thinking? Hell, you don't have to by psychic to know what he's thinking." she turned to him, watching him as he looked back at her, his chin in his hand as he leaned forward on his elbows.

"Do tell." Logan said, eyebrow raised, sure she'd be totally off base.

"You're thinking this is just as insane as I do right now. You can't get into a fighting mindset unless you're ready to fight." she said, crossing her arms and leaning back. Logan smiled at her.

"No, I was just thinkin' you're cute when you're mad." he told her, even if she was pretty spot on in her estimation of his thoughts. She scowled at him and rolled her eyes. They continued for a little while longer until K couldn't do it anymore. She'd never tuned into anyone, never felt anyone's mind that wasn't invading hers. Charles conceded that they needed to try another approach, and that they would do their next session in the danger room – next week.

Jean found K in a window seat while Logan was in a class, her head between her knees, hair hanging down as she rubbed her temples trying to relieve the pressure that had built up during the session with Charles.

"You alright?" Jean asked as she sat down next to her, rubbing her back.

"Yeah. Just have a massive headache from working with Charles & Logan." K replied, sounding beaten down. She asked how they were going about establishing a connection, and K answered all she could, admittedly not really understanding all that was going on during the session. Charles came into the room shortly after, K still in her little corner with Jean rubbing her back.

"Charles, why don't you just link them up so she can see what she's searching for." Jean said as Charles watched the little woman sympathetically. "You know it's much harder when you don't know what you're trying to find – imagine how hard it must be for them when they aren't even telepathic." Charles considered it, shaking his head.

"I don't know if that will work. I'm not sure they're capable of a full psychic bond. This may be simply an instinctual protective mode. Enough isn't known yet." he replied. Jean tightened her mouth as she thought it over.

"I just think it might give her a taste." She said, K chuckling quietly suddenly.

"OK, I'm going to go lay down." K said, "You guys let me know what you decide to do with our brains when you hash it out fully. I'm sure Logan will just _jump_ at the chance to have someone smash our minds together. Why not." Jean opened her mouth to try to console her in some way, or try to explain further when Charles put up a hand to stop her.

"Let her go. She needs rest anyhow." he told her, Jean sinking back to where she was previously seated. There had to be a way to make this easier.

The next session they had was in the danger room. K had given up before they even showed, figuring she'd just make it a good work out.

When she slipped into the zone, Charles reached out trying to help her to connect. When it finally happened, both of their body language changed and their precision and speed skyrocketed. Suddenly they both knew exactly the limitations of the other and took total advantage of it, filling in for each other as the intensity of the program progressed. When it was all done, it was actually a bit difficult for them to sever the connection. Charles was pleased. They couldn't speak to each other mentally, as the telepaths did, but they instinctively knew what the other wanted and how to make it happen. K was exhausted. Physically, mentally and emotionally. She'd had enough for the day, and was more than ready to just call it, but there was still a class for Logan to get to – conveniently in the danger room in less than a half hour, and after that was K's riding class. Logan helped her to her feet from where she'd collapsed at the end of their session, kissing her once she was in his arms.

"You alright?" he asked, knowing she wasn't all there just yet, having felt her state of being before the connection broke, and he himself not entirely right just yet. She nodded.

"Sure. I'll be fine." She said, trying to will it into being. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, and she leaned into him, the smell and feel of him reassuring her before she had to go and sit down for a bit. She watched his class for a while. He seemed to be perfectly fine now, and she made her way up to the barn, prepping for an easy class. They were doing games on horseback today, just silly stuff to break up the monotony of drilling technique. All was going well, laughs were had by all when suddenly during a simple down and back race K passed out, falling off her horse, and hitting the ground hard. Jean was helping her today and rushed to her side, K blinking hard trying to regain herself. The class looked horrified, Jubilee rushing to catch the loose horse before it riled up the rest of them. She stayed at the wall while Jean helped K to her feet, trying to get her out of the arena. K looked around, like she was searching for something when she spotted Jubilee, waving her to come over. When she got close, K slipped the reins back over the horse's head and asked for a leg up.

"You're not getting back on."Jean said, shock on her face.

"Like hell I'm not. Can't let her think that it's OK to run if someone falls. Besides, if you fall off you get back on if you're able." K replied, making the horse bow so she could mount when no one complied to her request for help. As she settled on the mare's back, Jean spoke up.

"You're not exactly able though, K. You passed out. Why?" She looked worried as she asked.

"Bull shit I'm not able. I'm awake and nothing's broken." She replied, lining the horse up to do the down and back again, this time pulling it off flawlessly, before K slid off when they stopped.

"NOW I'm done. Class, you did exactly the right thing. Jubilee, thank you. You did good stopping her when you did." K said, dismissing them as a whole. When all the chores were finished, she skipped dinner and just went straight to bed, Logan finding her half asleep when she didn't show up on time to eat.

"Jeannie told me what happened." He said as he climbed in next to her. "You OK?" K just sighed and rolled onto her back as he rested his hand on her hip, caressing her side.

"Yeah, I just don't know what happened. I was fine one minute and on the ground the next. Didn't break anything though, so we're good." She said, the look on his face indicating that he thought otherwise.

"Sweetheart, you _can't _break anything. That's not a good measure anymore." He said matter-of-factly, leaning in and planting little tender kisses all over her face. "What happened." he said as he loved on her. "Come on. Tell me." She began kissing him back as her hands roamed his chest.

"I really don't know, but you can keep trying to get it out of me." she replied as he smiled at her thought process. The next day the school was a buzz with the news of K's fall. The students had shown their colorful imaginations with their explanations on why she'd hit the ground. Theories ranged from someone giving her a mind blast, to a hidden mind control device, or drugs. One girl was convinced she'd fallen from being too exhausted trying to keep Logan satisfied in bed, while another girl decided she had to be pregnant. By the time K's class met next, they all had their own ideas, and were looking at K as if she was going to snap, or pass out, or fall off again, or even just break down crying. No one in the class was riding right, all of them tense as they waited for something to happen. K had heard the rumors all day, and saw that they had to hit it head on before someone lost control of their animal and got hurt.

"Alright. Halt. Everyone." K said, stopping in the center of the arena. "Dismount. All of ya." she growled out, slipping down from the big mare and waving them all in to center.

"You guys are not focused at all. You want to tell me what the problem is?" she asked them, daring them to say what was on their mind. She wasn't surprised when Chloe was the first to speak up.

"We all know you fell yesterday, and we're just um …. are you pregnant?" Chloe asked, the girls in the class erupting in giggles. K waited for them to die down before she answered.

"No. I'm not. Thanks for asking though." she looked around her class. "I've said before, everyone falls once in a while. That means _everyone. _Myself included. It's part of riding. Truth be told, I really don't know why I fell, but it was long overdue." She sighed as they stared at her. "Maybe what we need to do is fall. Everyone." they looked like she'd thrown water on them.

"But I thought we were supposed to try to NOT fall." Zoe said, looking unsure.

"Yeah, that's the point. You guys have gotten afraid to fall, that or you think you can't. Time to learn the right way and the wrong way." K said, giving them the signal to mount up. And starting to show them what a clean fall looked like versus a bad one. She went ahead and let it happen, knowing that she could heal while they couldn't do so nearly as quickly, explaining what kind of damage was possible from the falls she'd taken as she laid on the ground, gathering herself. When the class was over, the kids were laughing again, bragging about their falls. Charles stopped her in the hallway when she returned to the mansion, cleaned up from the class in new clothes and wet hair.

"That was an inspired way to handle things, K. However, I'd like to delve further into why you fainted yesterday." Charles told her. "I believe I owe you an apology. You were stretched too far mentally. I won't ask you to try to mentally link with Logan in combat any time soon. We will return to my office for further sessions, and the next time you do achieve a link – on your own this time, you will need to sever it yourselves. I think it was my hand initiating and terminating the link that caused your stress." He told her, she shrugged it off.

"It's fine. I'm just sorry I didn't say something. I won't ignore it if it happens again like that." she said, earning a resigned smile from Charles.

"You heal so quickly, you just brush it off, don't you?" he asked, resting his hand on hers before giving her a squeeze. "I miss our tea times. Would you consider making them a regular appointment again?" he asked, K smiling at him.

"Yes, I think that might be a good idea. Thank you." she replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek when she stood, escorting him to dinner.

…...

Two weeks later, the bond happened spontaneously. Neither of them was focusing on it at all, and it happened in the middle of Logan's combat class. K was helping him and they were demonstrating proper teamwork when it just kicked in. Class ended, the kids taken back by their perfectly balanced attack, filing out of class, discussing how the couple moved when Logan grabbed her and kissed her, exploiting the sudden bond by using it romantically, using his tap into her feelings as he overran her senses. More so than usual, she was totally at his will by the time the kiss ended.

"We'll pick this up later." he said breathlessly, unable to act on it now, in a classroom that was needed soon. She nodded wordlessly as he gradually let her loose, both of them staring at each other as if one might just disappear. When they got the time to make it to their bed, the result was enough to be nearly painful as they both utilized their connection to push each other to the brink sexually. Neither cared what the results of their actions were, the only thing that mattered to them was the pleasure of the other.


	9. Dead of Winter Entertainment

The link/bond was sporadic. It would be there one day, gone the next and flicker on and off a few days later. It was enough to give both of them migraines, which basically meant that everyone had to deal with a pair of crabby ferals. Those that knew of the link found themselves praying that it would either work reliably or just freaking cut out entirely. One day in late January K found herself rubbing her temples over a cup of tea, when her old traveling companions came to sit by her.

"You don't have a headache, do you?" Chloe asked as K cracked an eye at her, nodding. "But, that's not supposed to happen to you – we learned about healing mutations in Dr. McCoy's class the other day."

"Well, she can get little things like that if she's got a problem with her mutation." Zoe said, earning a tired look from their feral friend.

"Nothing is wrong with my mutation. This is something else entirely." K said quietly, pushing the tea away and laying her head on the table.

"Aren't you going to drink that?" Zoe asked. "It may help your headache, and it smells really good." K just shook her head.

"No, it smells awful." She looked up at them. "Did the good doctor cover enhanced senses?" K asked.

"Yeah, last semester." Chloe answered. Then looked at the tea. "Oh. It smells different to you?" K shrugged.

"More like stronger. A lot stronger." K explained as Jubilee made an appearance.

"Headache?" she asked, her brow wrinkled up. The girls answered for her. "That's so weird. Wolvie's got one too." Jubilee said as she pulled up a chair. Chloe and Zoe locked eyes as they stared at the top of K's head.

"How long have you two had a bond?" Chloe asked, grinning. The little that they'd read about feral bonds made it sound like finding a unicorn. Jubilee's mouth dropped open as the three girls continued their stare at the little woman in front of them.

"I'm gonna go lay down." K said, pushing her chair back as she started to stand up.

"Oh, come on! You gotta tell us! Pleeeeeeease!" Jubilee begged as K shook her head.

"I'm sorry Jubes, that's private." K said looking at her sadly.

"No! Now you're sounding just like __him!__ Come oooon." she whined, half dancing as she begged for details, actually getting K to smile at her.

"If you want to know, you'll have to jockey it out of Logan. I'm sorry." she said, truly looking like she meant it as she started to walk off. She barely got to the front door when Logan entered the kitchen, looking for something to drink, running headlong into the trio of teenaged girls that were dying to know more about the rare bond they discovered their favorite couple had.

"Oh, Hi Wolvie." Jubilee said, thinking to herself she'd have to be careful to not have him shut her down right off the bat. He grunted, his head throbbing. He took a tentative sniff of the air around him realizing he'd just missed his wife. The sisters were now looking at him with fresh eyes – suddenly seeing that he was much more than just a nicely built hunk of man flesh. He really was committed to K if there was a bond, and that was kind of romantic to the girls. She didn't realize she was staring at him.

"You OK, kid?" he asked her, his piercing gaze waiting for her eyes to meet his. Chloe blushed when she realized he'd just busted her. She nodded quickly blushing furiously and staring at the ground. He looked at her strangely a moment before his eyes slid to Jubilee.

"K go home?" he asked, Jubilee just nodded.

"You guys got plans for Valentines yet?" Jubilee asked, Logan just wrinkled his nose.

"Nope. Should I?" he asked, never one to make a big fuss over hallmark holidays.

"Yeah. She deserves some romance." Zoe said looking at him meaningfully. He narrowed his eyes at her and shaking his head turned and left following K's trail and grumbling to himself.

…...

The migraine stopped as soon as the couple snuggled into each other, almost at the same moment. For Logan it was the moment he'd truly filled his senses with her, inhaling her scent at the point where her neck met her shoulder, and the taste of her skin as he nibbled at her, her soft moan breaking the silence. For her it was his scent coupled with the feel of his growl while he ground himself into her. The solution to their troubles seemed to be as simple as that. When the headache was gone he began caressing her in earnest, unbuttoning her jeans and slipping his hand into her pants, pinning her hands over her head as he fondled her, K wriggling under his touch, begging to return the favor. When they'd finally finished with their afternoon romp, he asked her if she had any requests for the upcoming 'holiday'. She wrinkled her nose as she slid her hands across his stomach, kissing his shoulder.

"Why would I want to celebrate a massacre?" she asked getting a smile from him. He nodded.

"Fair enough. Sex then?" he asked, as she nodded slowly and seriously at him.

The students on the other hand were buzzing about the Valentines' dance that Jean had announced. The teachers were expected to chaperone, and Logan could think of no worse way to spend an evening when he'd much rather be tangled up with his wife. His crankiness level had inched up the closer they got to the dance.

The night of the dance, he'd slipped into his suit, as per Charles' instructions for the staff and waited for K to exit the bathroom. When she stepped out she took his breath away. She was in a long red formal dress, the bodice of which hugged her body like a second skin. The skirt was long and full but had a slit that ran all the way up to her hip, exposing her long leg perching on a matching pair of red heels. She came out asking Logan to attach the clasp on her bracelet as he was finishing up putting his tie on.

"I don't know that we should be going anywhere tonight." he said, his eyes searching for the slit in the dress that camouflaged itself when she wasn't in motion.

"I didn't get all dressed up just for you to tear it up before we GO anywhere. Come on, the girls went all out tonight." she told him, straightening out his tie for him as his hands skimmed across her hips.

"Don't need to look at the rest of 'em. I already got what I want right here." he growled, earning him a kiss.

"And you call me a trouble maker." she said, her fingers hooked into the front of his slacks, kissing him again. When the kiss broke, he noticed the gold in her make up, making her eyes pop. He slipped a shawl over her shoulders as they made their way up to the mansion. This was something the kids had looked forward to more than Logan could understand. The students were all dressed up, excited and chattering. The men of the Xavier Institute all looked handsome in their tailored suits, their hair perfect, nothing out of place, except of course for Logan, whose shiny black hair still held it's natural tufted appearance. The women however, they were a story all their own. Every one of them looked the part of a model or goddess, each one a swirl of color on the arm of a devilishly handsome colleague. When they got inside, K took Logan's arm and made their way to see Charles. It was their intention that they be seen so that they might cut out sooner rather than later. The problem with that however, was that this was a dance, and it was nearly impossible to avoid at least a few dances. Scott approached her first, asking Logan's permission to take K on the floor. Logan thought it might be worth a laugh and before she knew it, he was twirling her around holding her tightly as he joked with her on the floor. It wasn't much of a dance, but they looked positively elegant next to the mass of awkward box stepping teenagers. When it was through, Scott returned her to Logan and thanked her. She smoothed out the front of her already perfect dress and went with Logan to a nice quiet dark table, settling in to the darkest corner where they could cozy up and hide from the crowd. That didn't work at all though – Scott's dance with her had apparently been a tactical one. It turns out that several of the more senior teachers had decided to try to keep at least one pair of teachers on the dance floor at a time. Within a few minutes, Jean and Remy came asking them both to dance.

"Why don't the two of you dance together?" Logan asked, feeling suddenly like there was a conspiracy.

"Come on, mon ami. You would have killed to dance wit Jeannie not dat long ago." Remy said, K raised an eyebrow at him. She knew he had a thing for her, but thought it was funny that Remy would try to use it __now__ against him. Logan was growling until K rested her hand on his thigh.

"Go on. I'm not worried. Besides, I danced with Scott so what's the big deal?" K asked, Jean smiling at her. Unable to come up with a good argument that wouldn't sound bad on his end, Logan gave K a kiss before escorting Jean to the dance floor, making sure to keep it at the same level of friendliness that Scott did with K. Remy however – was not playing by the same rules. He and Rogue were actively trying to make the other jealous. They weren't fighting per se, but they were trying to get under each other's skin. Rogue had made leaps and bounds with her control, but still was losing her concentration when she got over loaded with any intense emotion. Tonight, she was dancing with lace sleeves as a precaution. When Remy got K on the floor, his long legs made it necessary for her to truly stretch out to keep up with him, exposing the extent of the slit in her dress as he did a few very close fast twirls where the pair were stepping between each other's legs as they moved between the groups of teenagers quickly clearing the floor for them as Remy made a show – as usual, ending the dance with K having to hook her knee around his to keep her balance as he dipped her low. Logan wasn't amused. Particularly when Remy returned her to him

Some of the older students had started to try and copy the flowing movements the adults had been showcasing. Jubilee had kept her seat most of the night, not wanting to dance with anyone but Emmett, who of course, hadn't leant her a moment of attention. She was shocked then, when K came to sit by her after half stumbling off the floor away from Kurt, who'd added in a few bamfs as they cut through the floor. Needless to say, K was a little light headed from the sulfur and brimstone as she nearly fell into the seat by Jubilee.

"Jubes, you should be dancing, not me. What gives?" K said, as she tried to stop the room from spinning. Jubilee pouted as she tapped her fingers on the table.

"The only person who's asked me to dance is Bobby, and he did it out of pity." Jubes grumped.

"Well, ask someone then." K said, not realizing what the real problem was.

"None of the guys here take me seriously. I'm the joker, the one that will never be considered as a romantic anything." She grumbled, not meaning to say all that she did.

"Alright. Who is it that shot you down? Want me to stab him?" K asked, looking as if stabbing someone would be the highlight of the night. Jubes rolled her eyes, but laughed when she saw the look on K's face.

"Emmett. I wanted to get him to dance, but M laughed and said that I wasn't graceful enough to dance with him." She said sadly. K didn't understand. "She likes to give me a hard time about everything. Miss Perfect." K looked onto the dance floor, where the young couple were making a sloppy attempt at a tango as Logan walked over and took a seat next to his wife.

"Hey Jubes." he said as he sat down, Jubilee greeting him weakly.

"She needs to show off, but hasn't danced much. Take her out, love." K said, not realizing that she hadn't phrased it as a suggestion, but more of a finality as she reached for some water. Without another word or a moment to think it over, Logan stood and pulled Jubes with him, surprising her as he gave her quick instruction on what to do. She kept up well, and before the song was through, she looked like an old pro. All would have been fine had Logan not overheard M's snotty scoff over Jubilee's dance partner and his lack of passion on the floor. Why the hell would he have passion in a dance with a girl he considered family? What kind of sick bitch was she anyhow? When he got back to K, he was irritated. Little twit. Jubes looked like she was having fun, but many of the kids seemed to be in M's fan club, in awe of what Logan considered a very sloppy, awkward and stiff tango that she and Emmett had just finished. Without any warning, he pulled K to her feet.

"Dance with me." he ordered, K shocked at his demand – something he rarely did these days. She looked at him confused a moment, questioning what they were doing. "Tango." he clarified.

"What the hell." she said, Logan smirking at her devil may care attitude. They made their way to the floor, amidst the more bold students that were stumbling through. Jubilee had just finished with Angelo, and stopped snapping her gum when she spotted K's red dress flowing onto the dance floor. She quickly made her way to Zoe, who had sat down, her feet killing her from too much dancing, the pair of them excited to see how this would turn out. Jean had picked up on Logan's mood and had made sure that the next song starting up would work well for what he had in mind. She hated to agree, but Logan was right. Although M was talented in many areas, she needed a reality check on her self perceived perfection tonight. The only thing was, Jean had no idea if either feral knew what they were doing. Logan and K were all fluid motion as they started, both held a smirk, their eyes locked as their legs twined back and forth, the slit in K's dress unable to remain hidden as Logan stepped into her, her leg wrapped around his as they pivoted, red satin flying. The floor cleared as the stunned students made room for the pair, many with their mouths open. They were sensual, steamy and smooth, their animalistic natures proving to accent their gracefulness as the dance took an edge that was perhaps a bit more racy than Jean had intended it to be, their lips a fraction of an inch apart as their legs intertwined, gliding across the floor. The poses that K struck through Logan's lead were stunning, making them look as if they'd rehearsed, though the truth was that their bond was singing, causing them to tune in to each other, anticipate each other's moves and complement them. The song ended with K bent backward, one of her legs over his hip, her head tipped back and his lips millimeters from her throat. A half beat at the end of the song passed when Logan closed the gap, kissing her throat reverently where it met her collarbone to the applause of most of the student body and all of the staff as K wrapped her arms around him, welcoming his touch.

Eyes wide, Jean approached them as they made to leave, complementing them on their performance.

"Just dancin' with my wife, Jeannie." Logan said, his voice gravelly. "And now, I'm takin' her to bed." he growled out. K met Jean's gaze, challenging her to try to stop them leaving now. But Jean just stepped aside, calling out to them quietly to have fun.

She turned her attention back to the students, who were abuzz, the girls talking about K, not used to seeing her dressed up, but also in shock that she and her gruff husband could pull off such a steamy, sensual dance. Jubilee found herself swamped with dance requests, many of the boys hoping she could teach them some of the suave grace that she had to be knowledgeable of, seeing as she'd danced with Logan as well, and none of the other students had. By the end of the night, M had apologized to her, and Emmett had danced a slow one with her, ending her night with a buzz.

…...

The next morning, K found Jubilee smiling, staring out the window absently stirring the milk in her bowl. She watched her warily as she retrieved a cup of coffee, leaning over the counter as she watched the teenager. Logan came in not long afterward and slipped his hand over K's snaking her cup from her hand as he took over on her coffee, leaning into her. He drained nearly half the cup before setting it down and biting her earlobe, his hand on her hip. It was his little signal that he was off to work out. Not long after he left, K finally greeted Jubilee, who looked genuinely surprised to see her.

"So I take it your night went a little better after we left?" K asked, Jubilee blushing and nodding in response.

"I got kissed." she admitted, blushing. K's eyes widened. Glad she waited until Logan was gone before she mentioned this.

"Who?" K asked, curious as to who was showing an interest in the little firecracker.

"Emmett. I don't know how it happened, but it happened." Jubes replied shyly. She was glowing. K drained her cup and refilled it before taking a seat next to her, trying to be the good older friend and listened to everything Jubes had to say before she retreated back to her privacy. She was planning on making something to eat, but just couldn't force herself to eat once she'd cooked. She didn't think anything of it, hell – it happened from time to time. When she got back to the boat house however, she was nearly exhausted. Not sure what else to do, she decided to just lay down and see if that helped things. She wasn't concerned until she looked at the clock, realizing that she'd slept for two hours. Sitting up, she shook her head. What the fuck. She got herself together and drank some water before heading back up to the house. She met Logan not long after getting inside, him having just gotten out from a little workout that turned into a serious exercise with the other men on the team, all of them now sweaty and in good moods.

"Girls are having a run at the danger room this afternoon – you in?" Scott asked. K just nodded her head, knowing that if she spoke it would betray the fact that she'd just woken up. No one seemed to think anything of it as they continued on with the generally good mood of the house.

Remy offered K a bite, which she refused on the premise that she was going in to fight, something she didn't want to do on a full stomach.

The danger room session went pretty well, the men all surprised at the amount of power the women in the house yielded when they really decided to turn it on. Logan was taken back at the ferocity that came out of his wife when she was surprise attacked, hardly looking to be sure it wasn't friendly fire before shredding the robot mercilessly. He wasn't sure, but it seemed she'd ramped up her attacks. They continued to battle when suddenly without warning, K slipped, unseen by her team mates until a split second before she hit the ground hard, landing on her neck and knocking herself out cold. Scott quickly stopped the simulation, Jean and Storm at her side almost immediately, Both of them getting visibly upset when K was unable to answer their questions for a few minutes. She felt like her legs went numb. The group as a whole upset at the revelation until she regained feeling.

"How does that even happen?" Jean asked. It was Logan that explained as he picked up K, intending to carry her to their little bungalow.

"The bones are covered in metal – spinal cord isn't. She'll heal up." he explained, turning to leave.

"Has it happened to you?" Scott asked, to which Logan just nodded his head and left, no longer expanding on the situation at hand.


	10. Spring is in the Air

By mid March, everyone in the mansion was predictably getting stir crazy. The melting snow and sporadic rain storms made anything outside messy, cold and miserable. Because of this, the lessons that K was running were slightly messy as she made them ride through the cold wet half flooded arena.

Things on the bad guy front were suspiciously quiet, though Charles had mentioned to the team that Magneto was to have a meeting with him in the next week or so. Training sessions were ramping up and everyone on the team ended up having to make a schedule on who used the danger room when as the adults needed something to burn off their nerves.

The bond between Logan and K had been increasing in intensity, which they had yet to figure out how to turn on and off. As a result, K had gotten so exhausted that she'd taken to sneaking in a nap early in the afternoon when most of the teachers were preoccupied. Logan was the first to notice she wasn't eating well on top of it all and was losing weight again. Afraid that it might be a depression issue, he decided to talk to her about it when one of his combat classes ended prematurely, one of the students having lost her temper, injuring several of her classmates.

He couldn't find her anywhere in the mansion, and decided to check the barn – that was usually where she snuck off to when she wanted time to think, but today – no dice. No sign that she'd been in there for hours either. He ran into Storm on his way back to the mansion, trying to figure where she'd gone.

"Did you check the bedroom?" Storm asked, causing Logan some confusion.

"Why would she be there?" He asked, as Storm smiled at him.

"That's where she's been going lately. I'm sure you'll find her there." She replied, going back to the greenhouse. He headed to the boat house, only making it halfway there before the skies opened up and treated him to an icy cold spring shower, soaking him to the bone by the time he got to the door.

As soon as he stepped inside, he knew Storm was right, the place smelled of her warm scent - pine, lilac and fresh hay being the strongest notes she exuded at the moment. He kicked off his boots and headed for their bedroom.

K didn't wake up when he came in. That never happened. He stripped off his wet clothes, toweled off and climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around her, nuzzling her neck in an effort to wake her. She barely cracked an eye as she snuggled back into him. Now he knew something was wrong. She never slept that soundly.

"K, darlin'." He said quietly as he nuzzled her ear. "Hey. Wake up." He told her a little more firmly. She opened her eyes a little and began to stretch.

"Jeez, you're cold. Am I late for class?" she asked, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around him.

"No, sweetie. I gotta ask though, are you alright?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"Well, sure I am. M'just tired." She replied, kissing him on the nose. "Why? You worried about me?" she asked, smiling.

"Little bit." He admitted. "You didn't hear me come in?" he asked. She took a deep breath and slightly shook her head, looking puzzled. "You aren't eatin' right either, lately." He said. She wrinkled up her nose as she snuggled into his neck, planting a kiss on his adams apple.

"Yeah, I know. Just everything that they're cookin' up there stinks – like it smells bad. Really strong, I don't know, maybe they're using too much onions or garlic. But, I can't take it. Turns my stomach just smellin' it. Can't get it past my nose." She replied. He wracked his brain but nothing was different. So, he reasoned to himself, it must be her.

"Nothin's off that I've noticed. Maybe you oughta talk to Hank, have him check you out. There could be somethin' off since that fall. " He told her, starting to worry about her in earnest.

"Maybe." She considered thoughtfully as she picked up on his concerns though their link. She turned and looked at the clock by their bed. "I still have a couple hours before I have to be anywhere. Wanna walk me down?" she asked. He smiled and nodded in response. He was a relieved that she'd agreed so easily and quickly started to get dressed.

…...

"My dear lady, there is nothing that I can find amiss." Hank told her as he went to pull out some vials. He'd already run her through the MRI and several bits of Shi'ar equipment, none of which showed anything wrong with her other than the adamantium graft to her skeleton.

"Then what is it? My healing slowed up again? What did I do?" she asked, Logan standing behind her, his hands on her shoulders.

"Not likely, but I will look into it. Roll up your sleeve, please." Hank told her as he pulled out the needle. Six tubes later he was done. "I'll run some tests and let you know what I find as soon as I can solve our little mystery. In the meantime, get something to eat, just in case." She thanked him and the couple left.

Over the next few hours Hank quickly ruled out another bout of adamantium poisoining, nano bot interferences, and any random ailment that he thought might have a fighting chance in her system. There were no toxins. Nothing. For all intents and purposes she was a perfectly healthy young woman.

He sat back a moment, staring at the vials of her blood still untouched when he was struck with a singularly ordinary thought. He almost hated to run the test without her consent, but he hated a mystery more. He picked up a vial of her blood and started. He'd know in a matter of minutes if he was correct. He prepared a second test to confirm his suspicions should his hunch be correct. His timer went off and he made his way across the room to look at the test results. A smile broke across his face.

"Bingo" Hank whispered to himself, immediately running his follow up test and looking at the clock. He had a good hour before her class was out. He wanted to bring her the news of his findings as soon as possible. In a rare act, he left the lab to speak with her.

The riding class was finishing up slow paced gaming in the arena, learning the patterns of the barrels & poles as the horses tried to dodge mud puddles. When the last student finished she gave them their notes and sent them off to care for the animals, most of them grinning at the good doctor as they walked past him. K smiled at him as she walked up.

"So, what's the news?" she asked him as one of the fastest students came back to take K's horse in for her.

"Could you tell me your symptoms again, I want to be sure my diagnoses lines up properly with my findings." He told her as she sat on the fence across from him. She sighed as she watched her horse turn into the barn a hundred yards away.

"Not much really, I'm just so damn tired all the time and my appetite's nonexistent." She summarized.

"You forgot heightened sense of smell." Hank said, looking at his notes. She wrinkled her nose.

"I always have heightened senses." She said, confusion or perhaps irritation twisting on her face.

"Yes, but have you always had a strong aversion to certain scents – perhaps garlic?" he asked. Shaking her head she looked at him clearly befuddled.

"No," she looked concerned now. "Hank, what's going on?"

"Tell me K, on a personal note. Are your breasts tender?" Hank asked seriously.

"A little, why do you – "

"And has there been any recent changes, other than tenderness?" He asked, trying not to look her in the eye.

"That's a little too personal, Hank." K replied, bristling as he knew she would.

"It's uncomfortable to talk about, I know. I'm sorry. Is that a yes?" she nodded looking sheepish as she slipped down from the fence, crossing her arms across her chest – suddenly self conscious. Hank sighed.

"One more question, and please think it through before you answer. When was your last period?" Hank asked, looking at his notepad, waiting for her answer. Her brow wrinkled then her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock, her hand floating to her stomach.

"NO. I'm … am I?" she stuttered, reaching out to grab a hold of the fence behind her. Disbelief on her face she stared at Hank, waiting for a confirmation. He smiled back at her warmly, nodding.

"Congratulations. You are indeed pregnant, my dear. Nothing wrong with you at all. I can test further when you have time to determine how far along you are."

"No. No. That can't be right, Hank. I haven't been sick – I – shouldn't I be throwing up?" she asked, clearly ready to hyperventilate, trying to remember when her last period was – she knew she just had one …. didn't she? Hank took her hand and led her to the risers to sit down.

"Not everyone gets morning sickness. The rest of your symptoms – particularly the missing period – point to a new life taking up residence." He replied, that phrasing kind of making her sick on hearing it. She looked panicked. Hank could smell the acrid tang of fear on the air as she began to melt down.

"What do I tell Logan?" she whispered as she stared outside at the rain beginning to fall.

"You tell him he's going to be a father. I would be very surprised if his reaction was anything but pure joy." Hank told her as she shook her head.

"He didn't want to tell me if he even wanted kids. He would have said if he wanted them, right?" She babbled to herself. Hank was shocked to see tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Balderdash." He said, pulling her into a hug. "Would you prefer if I told him for you?" he asked. She shook her head almost violently.

"No. Just – just let me work up to it, alright?" she said, worry on her face. Hank nodded as he let her go. Oh God. The link. She prayed that Logan hadn't caught all that she'd cycled through in the past few minutes.

"Of course. Can you come by tomorrow during his class? Perhaps seeing it on screen will help your nerves a bit." He suggested. She readily agreed then hastily wiped away her tears and made to double check that the chores were done for the animals.

...

She was on edge for the rest of the day. That night when Logan pulled her close, she thought she was going to have a panic attack.

"Hank figure out if you're OK or not?" he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder while he spooned her from behind. She paused before telling him Hank had a pretty good idea, but another test or two was needed to be sure. It wasn't a lie, exactly. He knew something was off though. He had indeed felt her emotions swirl earlier, and her anxiousness had him on edge.

"Anything serious?" he inquired, watching her carefully to see if she'd try to lie again. She shook her head.

"Nothing life threatening." She replied, he thought it over before letting it go, she was on edge as it was. As long as it wasn't going to kill her, he'd give her the chance to come to him in her own time. She felt guilty as hell for not telling him, and she even started to open her mouth a couple times trying to say it out loud, but she just couldn't do it yet. Instead, worry started to eat at her as she wondered how long she had before his nose could pick up the massive hormone shift her body was throwing at her, even if by some miracle he didn't catch her vacillating emotions through their bond. This was one of those rare moments where fully understanding his mutation was a giant pain in the ass. He kissed her shoulder again and settled in.

"Guess I better let you get your sleep then." He rumbled in her ear, hoping she'd feel better about whatever it was torturing her and just tell him in the morning.

….

The next morning when Logan was in class, she rushed to see Hank, who had everything they needed for her tests behind a drawn curtain. When she entered, he locked the door behind her. No need for anyone to stumble in and learn of the good news before the father.

"Hop up and unbutton your jeans, please." Hank directed, smiling warmly at her. K complied, leaning back nervously, staring at the ceiling, still in disbelief as she stared at her flat stomach. He had to be mistaken.

"This won't hurt so you may as well try to relax." He told her, trying to reassure her as the gel hit her below the bellybutton and he gently pulled her underwear a bit down to get the right angle. He wasted little time as he started moving the wand across her abdomen, stopping here and there, clicking the mouse in his free hand, making notations on the computer. She felt sicker and sicker as it went on, her nerves making her ill until finally,

"Mrs. Howlett, if you'd turn your attention to the screen, you can see your wee one." Hank said gently. Anxious, she looked to find a black splotch with a bouncing blob on the screen, it's limbs and head clearly visible as it floated around, the heartbeat viewable on screen. "Active little bugger too." Hank commented as she got her first glimpse of their baby as it wiggled and kicked. She couldn't feel her hands as she covered her mouth while she stared at the little creature on screen.

"Little one appears to be right around 10 weeks." Hank told her. "Would you like to hear the heartbeat, my dear?" he asked as she blinked back her shock, nodding her head numbly. The whooshing sound of the baby's heart echoed in the little corner of the lab, K suddenly unable to talk. She grabbed his wrist as he marveled at the little life she carried.

"Hank, I don't feel so great." She said shakily. He snapped out of his daze and handed her a basin – she looked particularly green at the moment. She sat up, leaning over it expecting to vomit, but her head was just spinning like a top. As she sat there, it seemed to let up a bit, Hank rubbing her back.

"Perfectly normal. You're just in a bit of shock. It will pass, just try to breathe and calm down, K." He told her, not entirely surprised by her reaction. Poor girl must have been in denial. The pieces all fit, in retrospect. When it seemed she'd regained her senses, Hank gave her a glass of water and a bottle of vitamins.

"Take one a day. Come back in six weeks, we should be able to tell you how the little one is coming along, and what the sex is, if you'd like to know. Celia is a little more versed in prenatal care, so I will hand you over to her, if that's alright." He summed up, smiling broadly at her. She stared back at him as if he'd just grown a second head and turned pink.

"You'll have to tell him soon, K. I know you're wary of it, but he's going to figure it out on his own – if he hasn't already." He told her seriously. She stared at her wedding ring, her shoulders uncharacteristically slumped.

"I know." She sighed as he handed her a few blurry print outs.

"I know it must be frightening, but maybe these will help you to break it to him. I promise you, K, it will be fine." His smile morphed into a grin a split second before he pulled her into a hug. "Truly my dear, this is good news."

He left her to her thoughts as she cleaned herself up. She shoved the printout pictures in her back pocket and left the vitamins next to the half empty glass of water on the tray near the ultrasound. As she left the lab, she looked at the clock and made her way to the kitchen. She still had some time before classes were out.

She made some tea hoping to calm her nerves and settle her stomach, but as she brought the cup to her lips it just smelled bad to her now as it had a week ago. She knew now that there was nothing wrong with it, but everything just smelled so strong. She dumped it out, opting for more water. How the hell was she supposed to tell him about this? Suddenly the kitchen flooded with students and staff. She watched as they cheerfully came and went, unable to return the smile Logan gave her when he spotted her, making a beeline for her to give her a kiss.

"You done with Hank?" he asked and she nodded silently. "You guys got it all figured out?" he asked and again she nodded. "Well then, lets go out then, darlin'. You can tell me about it over dinner." He told her with a grin. "Your class is going to be canceled tonight - the storm's about to hit, so we may as well go get a little air." She forced a smile on her face and took his hand letting him lead her to the garage, thunder cracking in the distance.

The pair climbed into the jeep and was barely down the road when she had to ask where they were headed. He smiled, telling her it was just a little place that he liked. The little diner was only about half full when they pulled in, and they found a seat and made their order quickly. The weather report on the TV said it was going to be a pretty nasty one, so they asked for it to go, back on the road before much time had passed.

They ran into the boat house laughing – the first time for K in two days. Soaked to the bone, he pinned her against the house, kissing her as they got drenched, K smiling against his mouth as he pressed against her, her arms around his neck. When the kiss ended, they were barely separated, their foreheads touching.

"God, I love you." He said breathlessly. She felt a jolt of panic to her heart. Sure, he says that now.

"Love you too. Just remember that, Mister." She said, unable to hide the shake in her voice. He wrinkled his brow as he pulled back from her, opening the door and pulling her inside.

"So, what's the problem, darlin'?" he finally asked, his nerves had been on edge all day awaiting some horrible news from K and Hank. "You gonna be alright, or do I need to start busting the place up." Might as well come clean, she thought. She still found herself unable to speak though when she opened her mouth. He watched her flounder a little, his concern for her mental well being growing more as she found herself mute and shaking. What the hell could be this bad?

"K." he said gently, taking her hands in his. She started to cry and he really got worried. "Tell me. Please." He said, ready to run up and threaten Hank if he needed to. She held her breath as she reached into her back pocket, pulling out the damp printout photos. They were folded in half, so the images were obscured. She handed them to him wordlessly, finally finding the courage to speak after he unfolded the paper, staring at it, silent and unmoving.

"I'm pregnant." She said quietly. Terrified now as Logan froze, he was sure his ears weren't working right as he looked at the blurry black and white images. She'd refused to look at him as the paper fell to the floor. She was sure he was about to blow up at her at any moment, and she didn't want to see the look on his face when he did.

She was braced for the worst. He slipped his hands into her hair on either side of her face, and she winced until he pulled her into a searingly sweet kiss. His desperation to show his affection coming through loud and clear as he held her tightly, passionately kissing the thoughts out of her head, his reaction so unexpected to her that it took her breath away.

"You scared the life half outta me, woman." he said as he finally stopped kissing her, still holding her head in his hands, trying to coax her into looking at him.

"You're not mad?" she asked her voice cracking. His expression softened more as he pulled her onto his lap as he sat down, holding her to him tightly.

"Why would I be mad? You're carrying my child. You're my wife - this is what's supposed to happen at some point. What the hell would make me mad about that?" he asked, her heart still raced as she thought about it. He really was fine – no, scratch that. He was happy about it. Hank was right again. Sonofabitch. Logan couldn't pass up a chance to tease her though. Stiffening up suddenly he pulled back just enough that he could look her in the eyes.

"It is mine, right?" he asked with a growl, eyes steely. For a split second, she didn't know if he was being serious or not, her mouth dropping in disbelief until he grinned at her.

"Oh now that... THAT is just the funniest fucking thing I've heard all day." She said, sarcasm dripping from her as she tried to pull away from him. He just held her tightly and kissed her again.

"Couldn't help myself." he chuckled as she slipped her arms around him again, K suddenly realizing there was a small hard lump between her hips was when he squeezed her tightly that she simply hadn't noticed before. A protective urge hit her out of nowhere, her hand drifting over where the lump was hiding when he released her. It wasn't big. She wasn't even showing, but she could feel it there, hidden within her, maybe the size of a grapefruit, still small enough to hide easily. She looked up at him, their eyes locking as she did so. His eyes were sparkling, pride evident as he smirked watching her.

"Are __you__ alright with this?" he asked, hesitant at what her answer would be. Clearly she was shaken.

"Well, yeah, I guess so. I have some time to get there, right?" she said as she tried to grasp what was happening to her. He smiled and covered her hand with his, kissing her gently.

"Come on, lets try to get some food in ya. Can't have you two starvin' on me." He told her, his eyes smiling. They'd just finished with dinner, and Logan had taken her to bed, pushing up her shirt, kissing his way down her body when their com link went off.

"OK lovers, we have a situation. We need both of you up here now." Scott's voice broke through over the storm. Before Logan could reach it, K answered it.

"Be right there." she said, trying to push herself up, Logan now pinning her down.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" he asked her, his brow furrowed.

"To see Scott. They need us both – or am I the only one that heard that?" she said, Logan clearly unhappy with her plan to continue on.

"Darlin' you can't go on a mission right now." he told her as she tried to wiggle out from under him.

"Yes, I can. I'm fine. Come on, they're waiting." she said. He refused to move. "Logan, we have to go up there. We can talk about this later." His jaw locked as he finally moved out of her way, following her closely as they made their way to the war room.

When they got there, the place was packed with X-Men, Avengers, Alpha Flight, and several of Magneto's followers. This was big, whatever it was, and it really was going to take every single one of them. Logan couldn't remember the last time he was this on edge, looking around the room, and holding his wife tightly to him. He still didn't know what was happening, but he knew he didn't want her anywhere near it.


	11. Loopholes or WHY would you tell?

The briefing was a lot more straightforward than Logan had thought it would be. Stark had gained enough intel to shut down the people that were running department K. Their kidnap, payment and torture of K was enough to tip the scales in the favor of the mutant population. Basically, if word got out what they had done to unwilling participants, it would be a political shit storm. Both governments involved wanted it permanently shut down on the QT while distancing themselves from it. It was a big enough operation that they needed everyone. Magneto's involvement was a personal one. His spies had stolen the files that were on SHIELD's mainframe and he was already willing to mount an offensive simply by K's existence – she was a living testament to everything that the American and Canadian governments had done to fail protecting their mutant citizens and with the vivid fresh memory to prove it was still happening. He very much wanted to spend a little time with her to hear her version of events, but that would have to wait until later.

Scott outlined the plan – it was simple. Storm the place starting with Logan and K running interference, sniffing out the best way in followed by strike teams to assault anyone that needed it on their way in to immobilize and apprehend the main culprits in the operation – the Professor, Dr. Cornelius, and their wayward assistant and lackey, Dr. Hines. When he was done outlining the first part of the plan, Logan's teeth were on edge.

"Before you go on, I need a minute with ya, Slim." Logan said – clearly upset about something that Scott couldn't place.

"After we lay it all out, Logan. I can't leave everyone hanging just because you don't like the initial assignment." Scott said, surprising K a bit. Was he always this condescending to Logan?

"Can't wait, Scott." Logan said, his face all business. Scott sighed and asked Stark to carry on explaining as he and Logan stepped outside the war room. K watched them through the windows for a moment, Scott getting animated as Logan looked the voice of reason for a change. Suddenly the door opened and Scott stuck his head in for a moment.

"K, can you come out here? Hank – you too." Scott said, his jaw set already. K and Hank locked eyes across the room and stood, Hank holding the door for her as they left. Jean and Betsy watched with interest, eyes wide and their eyebrows popping up as the conversation volley balled between the three men and K. Jean gasped suddenly, when she scanned their thoughts, realizing they weren't arguing over the assignment per se, but K's participation due to her being pregnant. Betsy just smiled to herself. Neither told anyone else, but mentally conversed with each other about the revelation. Things in the war room got very quiet as the group as a whole watched the goings on while trying to look as if they were hashing over the attack plan. First Scott was angry, and Logan looking serious, K's back was to the window as she faced the three. Then Logan joined Scott in anger as K shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, Hank clarifying something. Things shot back and forth, to K getting animated and Scott backing down from her as she got right up in his face, Logan looking livid as the couple locked eyes in a stand off. After a little bit, she pushed her way past Logan, bumping his shoulder hard as she passed and opened the door, stalking across the room and taking her seat, watching Stark as she waited for him to continue.

"We OK? Assignments still remain the same?" Stark asked, not yet knowing what the problem was, and not taking his eyes from the feisty little woman.

Logan made his way to stand behind her, his hand on her shoulder and still looking ready for blood. She tried to shake his hand off, but he just ended up with both hands on her instead. Neither spoke. Scott and Hank came in moments later, Scott watching K warily and Hank looking defeated and tired.

"Allll right then. So. Is it just me, or does everyone else really want to know what just happened out there?" Stark said, as his eyes shifted between the four of them, and landing on K, which seemed appropriate, as the men involved all looked to her with varying degrees of irritation on their faces, and Logan looking down right pissed off.

"Doesn't matter." K said, resting her hand on Logan's. He gave her a squeeze and his mouth tightened further. K ignored Starks gaze, staring at a spot on the wall until he dropped the subject, assuming it was from the treatment the two had gotten at the hands of the lunatics they were going after.

Scott sighed as he took his place next to Stark and Cap.

"Change of plan." he said reshuffling through the papers and taking a moment to think things through, everyone in the room staring at the angry couple and Scott. What the hell just happened?

"Why are we changing the plan? What -" Stark started to ask when Scott put his hand up to silence him as he tried to develop a new plan of action. He was truly happy for them, but this couldn't have come at a worse time. He knew K was probably right – she could do the mission, and get out safely. If fact, she'd been doing missions over the past month or so with no problem, but they didn't know then. It wasn't that long ago that Jean had lost a baby from an injury during a mission, and he wanted to try to protect K from that. There was no way he'd let her on a mission right now. Especially with the people that wanted to use her and Logan. Hell, he wasn't even sure Logan should be on this assignment. She had brought up a valid point, however. The mansion was likely being watched. It would be possible – likely even that she could be attacked here when the large group left, by several different parties. As much as she hated it, she would need a body guard if she were to go. He looked at her as that thought came to his head. Oh yeah, that would be a fun conversation.

"Alright. Wolverine will be on point, and find _all _entrances before we move into position to storm them all, unless, Snowbird – do you gain the animal's abilities when you shift?" She nodded in response. "Great, then you can help him out. Alright, once inside, the Hudson's lead the way – they're more familiar with the layouts of the Canadian facilites. Vindicator, you get Stark, Phoenix, Iceman, and Rogue. Guardian – you have Shadowcat, Psylocke, Spiderman, and Colossus. The rest of us will draw them out as you get the chance to get in, take the data and find our marks. They may be together, or they may be spread out. After that, we search and remove ALL test subjects. Once we get it secured from the outside, we will join the infiltrating teams in the search. One more thing. Once we've gotten what we came for, we burn the place to the ground." Scott finished. Weighing out the teams in his mind, he was sure he'd gotten a good mix of abilities in the infiltration side of things. They all were looking over the Stark's projection screens, getting all the details they can when K spoke up.

"What makes you think you can _handle_ their test subjects? What if they have a half dozen clones of Logan or someone all feral, pissed off and ready to kill? Can you handle that?" K asked, her eyes steel as she stared down Scott.

"Another reason for you not to be there." Scott replied, returning the coldness in her glare.

"And why isn't she going to be there?" Snowbird asked. "She has a better nose than I will in any form." K looked at Scott with a definite 'toldja so' look when Logan answered for him.

"She's pregnant." He said simply. K's temper flared as the room erupted in a mixture of smiles from those close and confusion from the others. How dare he? She twisted his wrist as she pulled his hands off her shoulder so she could stand to leave, Colossus and Thor blocking her path.

"Is this true, little one?" Colossus asked. K sighed and nodded, Colossus picking her up for a hug. As he set her down, Mac chimed in behind her.

"You're doing the right thing, staying behind." he told her as her brow creased. "Have to think of the little one first." She stared at him, marking him in her mind as an asshole.

"I wanted to go." she snarled, causing him to take a step back. When Piotr released her, she pushed her way out and rushed off to get away. This wasn't on her plan. None of it. All these damned superhero types and now she's freakin' married, pregnant and apparently suddenly entirely unqualified to do anything but gestate. She was angry with Logan for busting her out and getting her pulled from the mission, and now she was feeling totally useless. She made her way to the barn, pulling out the first horse she came across, brushing him out before she mounted up, trotting out. She headed toward the forest, stopping a few hundred yards short of it when she spotted Scott walking toward her in her path. She let him get halfway close before running toward him and cutting around him wide as she continued her ride. Scott sighed. He'd pissed her off worse than he'd thought. When she came back out of the woods, she slowed – she could smell several people nearby. Cautiously she made her way to the barn, Scott waiting for her when she got there. Trying to ignore him, she made to slip off as he grabbed the horse.

"K you're not going to be able to avoid me forever." he said gently. She looked at him when her feet touched the ground.

"Sure I can." she said, trying to take the reins from him, but he held fast.

"What about Logan? You plan on avoiding him too?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"If I'd avoided him in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation." she snarled out. Even Scott knew she didn't mean anything by it. Not really. He put the horse away for her, then sat down with her on a hay bale.

"We just want to make sure you and the baby are safe." he said. "and face it, you have a tendency to draw trouble."

"So does he." she countered. Scott couldn't deny it. "I won't do this alone, Scott. Something happens to him ..."

"We'll keep a close eye on him." he told her as Logan stepped into the barn, jerking his head at Scott for him to go. He sat next to her, sliding his arm around her. She didn't move. Half of her wanted to pull away – still angry, and the other half wanted to wrap herself around him like a love sick teenager.

"How mad are you?" he asked as she pulled apart a piece of hay, not looking at him.

"There's nothing wrong with me – I _can_ help." she said sullenly. He pulled her on his lap, K struggling against him a bit until he got his arms around her tightly.

"Yeah, and you can get hurt too." he replied. "Quit fighting me on every damned thing, woman."

"Ya know, if I'd known you were going to treat me like I was a damned invalid, I'd never have agreed to this." she told him, earning a smile from him.

"Well, you didn't exactly agree as it is, darlin'." he said as he kissed her. "Not like we planned it." She looked at him a moment, studying his face.

"Not like we really avoided it either though." she countered. He had to agree. Since her cottage, they'd become more and more careless. He finally let her up and they began to head back to their place.

"I don't leave for another couple hours. They're reviewing fresh satellite footage before we go. Until then, let's not fight, eh?" he said, watching her reactions. She didn't answer, but instead followed his lead, finding Heather waiting for them. She greeted them warmly, congratulating them, but it wasn't at all what K needed to hear. The trio went inside, K hardly making an effort to be friendly before she just went to bed. She was surprised then that not long after she laid down to hear Logan arguing with her.

"It's settled, Heather. She ain't goin. No damn reason for it." He growled out.

"Hear me out, Logan." She told him, trying to placate him "She doesn't need to be in the fray, but it wouldn't hurt to let her come for long distance back up." He glared at her.

"What the hell do you mean?" he asked, his temper rising.

"The new satellite footage suggests we might need a sniper. The files we have from Department K say she was programmed for it and it would be fitting that one of their programmed mutants was the one to take them down." Heather said, turning to K, who had quietly reappeared in the door frame to their bedroom. "Do you feel up to shooting some bad guys?" she asked her, K meeting her eyes as she considered it. Logan stood there fuming.

"Don't you think ya could have talked to me first about it, Heather?" He growled out, Heather turning to him and placing her hand on his arm.

"With all due respect, she'd be the one watching out for us on the side of the mountain." She turned back to K, "I have an extra suit you can use that generates a force field. It _will_ protect you." K's eyes slid from Heather to Logan. It was easy to see that he really didn't want her to do it.

"K, I've been through this. I know first hand how overprotective these guys can be." She told her as she stepped toward her. "My daughter, Claire, is proof that we're not as fragile as they think we are." Heather turned to leave, pausing in the door when K finally spoke up.

"If I don't do this, who does?" K asked quietly. She turned and glanced at Logan before meeting K's stare.

"Not sure we'll be able to find someone who's trustworthy. We'd probably have to take a chance with Domino or Deadpool." Heather replied before leaving them to think it over. It was quiet in the boat house. Neither moved for quite a while.

"How durable are those powered up suits?" K asked him. He kept staring at the floor.

"I don't want you doin' it, darlin'." he replied.

"That's not what I asked." she said calmly.

"I can cut through it." he said. She tipped her head to the side as she considered it.

"A given. What about other things – bullets, lets say?" she asked.

"Bulletproof. Resists puncture from anything but adamantium." he said quietly.

"Then what? You afraid I'll shoot you in the ass?" she teased. He didn't see the humor in it.

"Well now I am." he replied "I just want -"

"To keep me safe. Got it. Guess what, I want the same for you, so I'm going." she cut him off before giving him a kiss and heading for the door, Logan on her heels. She caught Heather before they hit the mansion.

"I you want me, I'll do it." K told her as Heather smiled in return. "I don't have a gun though, so-"

"Easily covered. Just give Stark a list of what you need." Heather replied. "He can have it here within the hour if you're quick." They entered the mansion together, Cap pulling Logan aside right away to congratulate him. K winked at her husband and turned tail, sniffing out Stark. She found him in Charles' study, helping himself to a drink.

"Hey there." he said as she entered. "So it seems my chances with you really are nonexistent then. A baby? Wow." He sounded disappointed. As she took a pen from Charles' desk and started to write.

"Well, I was off the market anyhow, married you know." she countered as he tipped back his drink.

"SO." He started "What brings you to me tonight? You taking up Heather's offer, because I can't say that I approve."

"Yeah, I am," she replied. "She told me to bring you my list." She pulled off the sheet of paper from the pad and folded it in half, then put it in his hand gingerly. He studied her for a moment, then with a deep breath he set down his glass and opened the paper, his eyes bulging instantly.

"Are you serious? I get the rifle, and most of the gear, but why the side arms and anti-tank rounds?" he asked. K shrugged.

"Better to be prepared." she replied. "Consider it a craving. I know you guys have trouble telling a woman no when she's got a craving." He stared at her a moment.

"Are you sure you're entirely spoken for, because women that come up with a list like this..." his eyes were wide.

"Don't you think married and pregnant is spoken for enough? What else do I have to do to say 'taken'?" she asked as he shook his head.

"Hope springs eternal." he sighed. "Yeah, I can have this here in no time." She smiled at him genuinely.

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." she said, bouncing on her heel as she turned to leave, Tony flipping open his cell to get the gear and calling out to her.

"Pregnant women don't crave big guns! Unless that's some kind of euphamism!" he shouted at her retreating form. "Just sayin'."

…...

They were just about to load the jets when Tony's associate Rhodey showed with a crate.

"You see Tony around, Logan? He told me to bring some equipment for a K. Howlett?" he asked, looking around the group of mutants, clad in various uniforms. Logan nodded, telling him he could take it.

"Sorry, Tony said don't give it to anyone but the sniper using it. So where is he?" Rhodes asked. Logan smirked. Just then, K walked in wearing the spare Vindicator suit, adjusting part of the shoulder area as she approached Logan.

"You're right, love." she said as he slipped his arm around her waist and giving her a quick peck. "I guess I do need to just have my own damn uniform made. Heather's is too tight around the chest, and a little long in the middle. Ugh. Why do I have to be so damned short?" she griped, looking up to see Rhodes. She froze. "Oh. Sorry. Hi." she finished shyly as the military man smiled at her.

"Maple leaf looks good on ya." Logan teased, a smirk on his face.

"Oh shut up." she replied as he grinned. Tony came up in nearly full suit and tapped the box in front of Rhodey.

"This it? Great. Here ya go, K. Make sure it's all there before we load it up." Tony said as Rhodey's eyebrows went up.

K walked up to it, removing a glove before popping a claw and cutting through the straps and screws holding it shut. She stood on tiptoes digging through the crate, pulling things out and handing them to Logan as she did.

"Rifle with scope … yep, right scope, lets see … side arms and holsters … mat, gillie, spotting equipment… AH." she said pulling out a case of ammo and cracking it open on the floor, counting her rounds. "Are these mags full?" she asked Rhodes who just nodded. She dug around a little more. "Where are the anti tank rounds?" she asked, brushing a loose lock of hair from her face, her brows drawn. He pulled two magazines out of his jacket, not handing them over yet.

"Where were you trained again?" he asked, staring at the tiny woman in the skin tight suit.

"I wasn't." she said, unbothered by his shocked expression as she slipped the drop leg holster on, Logan assisting her in the buckles and straps, taking maybe a little too much care as he slipped his hands across her hips and down her legs. She loaded up a backpack with the ammunition then stuck her hand out, waiting for the last of the ammo that Rhodey was still holding. He looked at Stark, then Logan before slowly handing over the last two magazines. She smiled when he finally did so, strapping them in to a hidden pocket in the holster at her right hip. She slung the giant sniper rifle over her shoulder as Scott walked up, a shocked expression on his face.

"That gun is nearly as big as you are – isn't there a smaller one?" he asked, not comfortable around guns anyhow.

"If I thought you were going to have kittens over this little .50 cal, I'd have asked for the .950 just to give you something to bitch about." she said, looking bored as she adjusted the carry strap on the big rifle. Stark smiled widely as Scott just turned to Logan.

"Your wife is scary." he said before turning to leave.

"Careful, Slim – she's already threatened to shoot me in the ass. You might be next." Logan called out to him, getting a smile and a kiss from K. Stark thanked Rhodey over his protests and they began to load up the last of the crews. Logan gave K a kiss, still worried about her safety as she settled in with Widow, who was taking K in a mini stealth jet to her location nearly a mile away from the complex on a mountain overlooking the area. She would be acting as K's spotter, and unknown to K, her bodyguard.


	12. Shutting Down Department K

The weather was being very cooperative as dawn broke. K was nestled into the mountainside, her camo hiding her perfectly despite the fact she was wearing bright white and red under the gillie suit. Widow was at her side, keeping an eye on the surrounding area as K took her turn in the spotting scope, watching the operations going on below. K cocked her head a moment and looked at Widow as she listened.

"Sounds like the party just showed up." K told her. Widow doubled her efforts to watch out.

"I'll keep an eye out. Hopefully the other guys don't have reinforcements coming in. They're already better guarded than we anticipated." Natasha replied, warily watching. Something big was about to go down. That much was clear. A string of trucks had come in and it looked as if they were beginning to load up equipment.

"I'm calling this in." Natasha said quietly as some medical equipment was loaded into the back of one of the military trucks. "Those uniforms aren't US or Canadian. They were tipped off, and it looks like they sold their research. We have to stop them before they leave." She made it through to Stark, who told her they were landing, ground attack was minutes out. Suddenly K pulled out one of the armor piercing magazines and racked it in, ready to start shooting out engine blocks if need be. Natasha looked up and started spotting, Stark still on the line.

"We can stop them, but it will give away our position." Natasha said, practically reading K's mind.

"NO. Just wait! Don't do anything unless there's no other way. We're almost there, Logan's on the ground right now." K took a deep breath as she saw a flash of yellow in the trees on the far side of the compound. They watched them loading, waiting for the go ahead when finally Scott's voice came over her earwig.

"Take the shot, K. We're in position, but we need a diversion. Be careful." Scott said. Before he'd finished the sentence the first round hit the engine block on the lead vehicle. She racked a second round as the soldiers below scrambled, trying to move the disabled truck. The second truck in line was hit, and the third, all within thirty seconds. Natasha was having trouble keeping up with her pace. She kept it up, disabling one after the other until they were all unusable, Stark's laughter echoing through the com at the chaos breaking out below. She switched to the standard rounds and kept her eyes open. She spotted Logan, pinned down by two different gunmen. His cover was flimsy and they were advancing fast. Before Natasha could give her all the information, she dropped one and racked a second round taking aim. Logan's head shot up in the general direction where the two women were hidden on the mountain as the second shot hit true, clearing his path. They were far enough out that the sound from the rifle was very delayed and not very loud, obscuring their position. He couldn't spot the muzzle flash either. Damn, they were better than he'd thought. The battle waged on below. K and Natasha kept an eye out for trouble, and whenever they spotted one of their own in a bad position, she'd simply drop whoever was the biggest threat to their well being. In the meantime, the soldiers below were told to find the sniper. The enemy platoon worked quickly, they were a few hundred yards away, with K's eye in the glass when Widow spotted them making their way slowly towards them.

"Damnit." she mumbled, hastily pulling up her assault rifle, waiting for them to get out of their cover. K continued to clear the paths as she asked Natasha what the situation was on the soldiers headed their way. Her question was answered when Natasha opened fire. K moved from the glass to see how many and how heavy the fire was, pulling her sidearm as she did so, firing on some of the soldiers. As it turned out, it wasn't a small scouting squad they'd sent up the mountain. It was a full platoon and the two women were now pinned under heavy fire. Widow had good cover behind a boulder, and K's borrowed uniform was doing it's job, deflecting round after round fired on her. K poking her head out long enough to drop a couple soldiers at a time. Widow took over firing on the rest of the platoon advancing, her position giving her an advantage finally as the men were all now in the open. When the dust settled, Widow called out to check on K, turning to find her lining up another shot in the scope of the rifle as a round hit her in the thigh. Natasha looked at her leg wound, realizing it had been a clean through and through. She got on her com, asking for assistance as clearly they had a sniper somewhere too. Thor had volunteered to clear the mountain for them and was en route, ready to do whatever necessary to aide the two women. When he got to their site, Widow quickly told him what she knew, sending him to scan for the shooter. When he left, she began to dress her wound. Luckily, it wasn't in a very vital area – clear of all major vessels. She put on a tourniquet bandage and stayed low, waiting for the all clear, and talking to K, asking what was happening down below, unable to reach her spotting scope.

The main strike team was now in the heart of the complex, gunfire echoing the corridors. Heather's team had found it's way to the labs, and after clearing them, Stark started on the computers while the rest of the team began helping the test subjects that were still strapped to various tables and devices.

Mac's team was in more trouble. Where he suspected the mainframe lived turned out to be where the soldier's bunks were, and there were many more than they'd anticipated. They had nearly gotten a handle on it when an echoing bellow of rage echoed through the complex, rattling all of them where they stood. Outside, Logan heard it, and got a chill. This was not good.

The soldiers facing Mac and his team suddenly dropped their weaponry and started to run, many of them rushing past the advancing group of heroes. Clearly, they knew what made the roar and didn't want to stick around to wait for it. Without knowing what else to do, Mac opted to try to finish out their end of the mission, continuing on towards what he hoped would be the mainframe.

Heather's team was releasing the test subjects when the roar echoed through the level they were on, shaking the ground they stood on. Wide eyed, the beat up mutant in the cell before her began to beg for her to open the door to his cell, frantically trying to get away.

K's targets were cleared and she had a moment to check on Natasha, who was starting to look pale. She crawled over to help her with her leg wound, redressing it with better leverage than Natasha was able, then returned to her scope, to see if the battle had ended. What she found when she got there was shocking. Mid fight, Logan's sparring partners suddenly turned tail and ran, leaving him and the rest of the outside team confused, until the great raging behemoth that had broken loose in the lower levels made his presence known, bursting through a wall not fifty yards from Wolverine and Northstar. His roar was clearly heard on the mountain as he took one look at Wolverine and attacked. She racked a round and was taking aim when Natasha screamed at her to stop.

"That's the Hulk! You can't shoot him – it won't hurt him!" she shouted, fear clear in her eyes. "He'll just come looking for us!" K watched as the Hulk and Wolverine fought, Logan getting in some good hits, but taking it just as good as he was giving. The rest of the team tried to help from the ground, but had to keep back as one half assed hit from the Hulk would likely have killed any one of them. Storm waited for an opening, hoping she could get a chance to strike him with lightning, but it never came. For all intents and purposes, Wolverine was on his own. All free members of the outside strike team made their way into the complex, Thor returning empty handed to Logan's aid, taking a hard hit right off the bat, knocking him over the mountain K and Natasha were tucked into, his hammer out of hand as the unconscious God landed who knows where.

"This isn't like him – they did something to him." Widow said as she watched Hulk rampage at Logan, now pounding him into the rocky ground, the sounds of his hits echoing in the mountain. As soon as he turned his back, Logan was on his feet, unwilling to let him walk away to do damage to anyone in his current state. The two continued their battle until Logan slipped and Hulk in his rage and hatred for him took advantage, truly hammering him with all he had. K couldn't watch any more. She jumped up and started to run for all she was worth, Widow shouting at her to stop. The closer she got to him, the more the ground shook as he pounded her now defenseless husband into the dirt. As she approached, Hulk turned his back, picking up a boulder to continue his assault on Wolverine, intent on smashing the little man into a puddle this time. Panic stricken, she rushed between the two, shielding Logan with herself, hands outstretched to the rampaging creature as he turned back to finish the job.

"NO! Please, don't!" K cried out, eyes and arms wide as she stared at the mountain of a monster, boulder raised high over his head. Something in his eyes faltered as he looked at this tiny woman in front of him.

"Please." she said, terrified for Logan. "Please, you hurt him enough – he won't bother you, I swear it. Please just stop." His face scrunched up as he watched a tear roll down her face. Incrementally, he relaxed, the boulder dropping to the ground next to him, rattling the trucks scattered around the area and nearly knocking K off her feet. He walked up to her, K keeping her ground as he dwarfed her even as he squatted down to try to look her in the face better, studying her hard as she trembled, heart racing.

He saw that she posed no threat to him. So why had this tiny woman tried to stop the Hulk? He reached out to her, touching her long dark hair and suddenly cradling her head in his massive hand as he studied her. Gingerly, she rested one hand on his wrist, trying to prove to him that she was not trying to see him harmed even as she begged for him to stop beating on Logan. He stared at her for what felt like hours, until finally he grumbled to her.

"Why you help little man? Little man hurt Hulk." He said low, rumbling as he concentrated on her.

"I love him." she said quietly. He scrunched up his face, looking over her shoulder at Logan's unmoving mess of a body. Was he considering her?

"Keep little man away from Hulk." he said to her, not letting her go until she nodded in agreement. He let his hand fall, then stepped back as K watched, still frozen in place wide eyed as the Hulk jumped away. There was a minute when everyone still in attendance simply stared at her until she turned and stumbled towards Logan. He was a mess, looking like there was little left of him solid that wasn't adamantium. Shaky, she leaned forward, pressing her ear to his chest, finding his weak stuttering heartbeat. Hank was there quickly, pushing her away so he could scoop up Logan, bringing him to the blackbird for a safe quiet place to heal. K gathered herself and followed, leaving him only when the blackbird was fired on by enemy combatants. Before Hank could stop her, she was out the hatch, hunting and shredding them, their screams echoing through the woods. While Hank studiously examined Logan, fretting over what he could do to help the battered man, a commotion rose up outside, much shouting echoing through the trees into the blackbird. Familiar shouting. In fact, it sounded a lot like Gambit now that he was closer, shouting in his mixture of creole and french, swearing as he neared the stairs, shouting for him. Hank turned to the door way, horrified when he got there, K was in Gambit's arms, limp, eyes open, bleeding from the neck, her suit soaked in blood now, very little white visible. He handed her to Hank, both of them looking alarmed. Hank moreso when he realized that the wound went straight through her neck, blood oozing out both sides. The oozing is what had Hank the most concerned. He was pleased though that by the time he'd turned to his wayward patient, paddles at the ready, she had recovered her pulse, and woke enough to cover the wounds with her hands, allowing them to close up easier. When he approached her, and she acknowledged him, he decided she'd be alright, telling her to remain where she was.

Logan was healing quickly. Stark brought in Widow a short time later for medical treatment. K left the medical area, flopping down in the co-pilot's seat to rest, making room for the other minor casualties they'd sustained in the raid.

When Logan woke up, Scott was nearest him, and before he realized his teammate was awake, Logan spoke up.

"Didja pull K yet?" he asked, slightly out of breath, and clearly worn, his uniform in tatters, and covered in his own blood. Scott went pale.

"What do you remember, Logan?" Scott asked, his voice steady.

"Why? Where is she?" He asked, his stomach feeling like lead and aching everywhere. Scott looking around before answering.

"She's ah – she's in the cockpit." he told him. Logan let out a breath. "She saved your ass, Logan." Scott said. "I don't know what the hell she said, but whatever it was, you're alive because of it."

"Yeah, she's a damn good shot." he said, shaking his head as he thought of her picking off the soldiers around him.

"No, Logan. She stepped in front of the Hulk. Talked him out of taking a boulder to you." Scott said grimly. Logan stood, shakily making his way to the cockpit, dropping to his knee when he found her fast asleep in the co pilot chair.

"Jesus woman." he whispered, rubbing the sides of her neck and looking her face over as her hands rested on his forearms, noting the dried tear trails on her cheeks, the blood in her hair, and all over her neck and hands. She smiled at him, glad he was already well healed.

"What the hell were you thinkin'?" he asked, as he scanned her face, he glared at her, waiting for an answer. She sighed. Busted.

She opened her mouth to speak, and on finding it incredibly painful, she reflexively clasped her throat, swallowing hard when no sound came out. He suddenly realized the blood that had dried on her uniform looked as though it had cascaded down her shoulders. How the hell did he miss that?

"You got shot too?" he asked, strain on his face. "Was that before or after the Hulk?" she looked down, there was no good way to answer him.

"After." she rasped out, hoarse, even though her throat had healed.

"You were supposed to stay out of the fight. No more missions." he told her. No question in it now. He'd keep her away come hell or high water. She wouldn't fight him. Their bond would keep her from flat out disobeying a direct request. Didn't mean she'd be happy about it though.

"You mean until after the baby's here?" she asked. He shook his head grimly.

"But I'm fine." she said quietly. He was still angry.

"No." he said. She opened her mouth to say something in return when he raised his hand, palm open to her. "I said no." She glared at him, her eyes narrowing.

"You know, you were supposed to take care of yourself too_. __Instead_, I end up stopping some giant green jackass from mushing you into MORE of a puddle in the dirt._" _she growled, glaring at him. He glared back as they took their seats next to each other as the jet filled up with the rest of their team.

"Hulk wasn't supposed to be there." he grumbled, irritated that she was right about him tousslin' with his old sparring partner.

"Neither was the other sniper, but you don't see me gripin' about it." she snarled back, arms crossed. He looked at her, confused as to what she was talking about, but trying too hard to keep his angry mood to ask now. They didn't talk to each other on the flight back, but shortly after take off, as she stared out the window, he slipped his hand onto her thigh, K immediately intertwining her fingers with his. Betsy watched the gesture, amazed by how even angry at each other, they couldn't seem to deny the need to touch. It was reiterated when as they stepped out of the jet, K lost her footing, Logan catching her before she could hit the ground. She smiled at him, in spite of her lingering irritation, his eyes sparkling in response. When she was upright, Heather greeted them at the bottom of the steps.

"How did it go?" she asked, looking K over, running her hands over areas that Natasha had said the bullets were bouncing off of, lamenting the amount of blood on the white portions of her spare suit.

"Heather, what the hell?" K asked as her hand skimmed K's side.

"Oh, sorry – checking for damage to the suit. Aside from the blood stains and the claw holes in the gloves, it looks perfect. Logan's expression was neutral. He was torn between relief that she was fine and anger that she wouldn't need checking over had she listened to him in the first place.

"You can retrieve your suit shortly, Mrs. Hudson." Celia said, a smile on her face as she walked up to K, file and paperwork in hand. "K, come with me please, you need to be checked over before you return to clashing horns with Logan." K stopped in her tracks.

"But I'm alright. The suit held up – I can go after I change, right?" K asked as Hank sighed and shook his head.

"We have to check _both_ you and your progeny." Hank explained as he wheeled Widow past them on a stretcher, positively doped up on morphine, her eyes rolling in her head. K nodded and silently followed Hank, Logan's hand on her hip as he stayed close. She stepped behind the curtain, Logan beside her as she slipped out of Heather's uniform. He set it on the bed next to her as she climbed up, covering herself with a sheet as she asked Logan to grab her clothes. He nodded and slipped away. Celia pulled up a chair as she set up the ultrasound machine, taking her time.

"Come on, lady, lets get this show on the road." K grumbled, leaning back in anticipation of her quick exam.

"Oh no. We'll start when your mate arrives again. He deserves a peek at the little one after all the stress he's gone through today." Celia told her. She suddenly got nervous. What if she HAD done something wrong. What if after all her bravado, her injuries today had done some harm? It didn't make sense that it would, her body was well protected, but how long had her heart stopped? Her stomach was flipping and twisting as she nervously waited for Logan. When he returned, he looked at Celia, who gestured for him to sit. He was barely in his chair when K reached her hand for him, reflexively looking for comfort. He gently took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers and kissing the back of her hand, the tiniest of smiles on his face. She watched him as Celia lifted the sheet covering her, exposing her from the waist down, while she began the ultrasound. It took a few minutes before the whooshing sound came out loud and clear. K let out a breath and closed her eyes, opening them to find a crooked smile on Logan's face as he watched the little one on the monitor, stretching and bouncing.

"I could make a guess at the sex, but it would be better to wait until next time." Celia said as she studied the screen. She cocked her head sideways and stopped, staring at it before changing her angle entirely, now showing the baby turned the other way.

"Hmm." Celia said quietly, but not quiet enough to escape either parent's ears.

"What – what's wrong?" K sounded panicked.

"I'm really sorry, but I'm having a very hard time seeing everything. We need to do this a different way." Celia said, cleaning the gel off her stomach and readjusting the sheet over K's legs before switching to a very … intrusive looking device. "We need to use a different style probe. Bend your knees, and open your legs, please." K stared back at her, sure this was some kind of twisted joke.

"Why?" she asked, flabbergasted.

"Because I can't get the measurements I need. I can't see all the parts and pieces, and I'm assuming you don't want to go into a regular OB who will ask you to do the same thing anyhow, right?" Celia rattled off, looking at the feral woman over her glasses. K sighed, glaring at her. What the fuck. She didn't want to do it, particularly with her husband sitting there, waiting for her to go ahead.

"Work with what you have." K growled. Celia looked irritated.

"Just do it." Logan said, leaning back in his chair. She stared at him in disbelief a moment.

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one that has to do it." she growled out, wincing as the test began. A few minutes later, Celia was done, her measurements recorded and K was awkwardly trying to regain some semblance of dignity as she pulled her shirt over her head. Logan hadn't moved much, but to hold her hand during the test, but as soon as Celia left them alone, he stood up and kissed her, holding her head in his hands. Breathless when the kiss ended she stared at him a moment.

"What was that for?" she asked as he smiled at her.

"For doin' what's right. Even when I've been wrong about it. Today would have been a disaster without a sniper, and the only ones we know, I wouldn't trust with a slingshot." he told her. "Oh, and I don't know why Hulk left you alone, but I sure as hell don't want you to ever put yourself in that position again. Not for me. Not ever. Promise me." he told her. She wrinkled her brow, shaking her head.

"No. I won't promise you that. If you won't take care of your own safety, I _promise_ that I will. I want to keep you around, mister." she told him, determination on her face. "I will _not_ have a child alone." He was shocked, but nodded as he seemed to accept what she had to say.


	13. Things Start to Catch Up to Her

When K got to the boat house with Logan, both of them exhausted, she immediately made her way to the shower, cranking up the hot water then began to help him strip off the tattered remains of his uniform. He probably could have managed on his own, but he appreciated the thought. She had never been beaten anywhere nearly as bad as he had and she knew he must be sore and stiff. She gave him a few minutes to soak in the hot water as she stripped off her still clean sweats, slipping in behind him, intent on helping him, and giving him a rub down. When he was done, he turned her away from him so he could return the favor, tipping her head back into the water, shampooing the blood out, then taking his time working his way down her. When both were clean, they slipped out, drying off. Logan was more than willing to attack her, scenarios playing out in his head on the best way to ravage her, but all plans were tossed when he caught her yawning widely as she towel dried her hair. He abandoned that thought for now. It had been a long day, and if he got his mind out of the gutter for a minute, he was pretty sore. He slipped into bed without bothering to dress, hoping she would too. He started to relax before she joined him, his eyes heavy as his healing factor demanded he rest. He managed to stay awake enough for her to kiss him as she pulled the covers up over them, his hand on her hip as she snuggled up next to him.

…...

She woke up to Logan licking his way down her back, nipping at her hip, his hand drifting into the no fly zone, startling her to fully awake. She could feel him smile on her skin when she jumped.

"Um. Good morning to you too." she said laughing a little as she turned to look at him crawling back up her, kissing her as she looked over her shoulder. They spent the morning in bed, both of them feeling as if they'd deserved a little time to each other. When they were done, Logan was starving. He'd done a lot of healing and needed to refuel badly. The group meeting them when they got up to the mansion looked wary. Word was out that the couple hadn't talked on the flight back, and no one had seen them since. Jubilee looked nervous as K took a seat not far from her at the table while Logan grabbed a few things for them to share. He sat down across from K, making to crack open a beer when K reached over and snatched it from him.

"Oh no. If I have to give it up, so do you." she said, light flashing in her eyes. The kitchen went silent. No one – NO one messed with his beer. He stared back a moment. Her request really wasn't horrible, but he didn't like having to forgo. He'd started to open his mouth to say something snarky when Jubilee cut him off.

"Why can't you just have one too?" Jubilee asked, her eyes wide as K clenched the can a little tighter. She went pale and her eyes flicked to Logan, who had tightened his mouth and was now weighing his options. K saw him trying to ignore the question.

"Well, go on. Ya told everyone else." she said, still irritated in how he'd tried to weasel her off the mission. He smiled. Yeah, he did tell everyone else. In fact, how Jubes didn't know with the whole of the team whispering about it was beyond him. He reached over the table, and took the beer back, tossing it to Bobby.

"Fine. I'll try it your way." he said. "At least in front of ya. If I head out with the boys, I'm not makin' any promises." K smiled in return.

"Fair enough." she replied. "But in that same spirit, I won't go on any missions with you, but if something comes up and you're not around – I'm not making any promises." His face became stony as a low growl crept from his throat. She ignored it, turning to Jubilee. "You're going to be a big sister." she told her, Jubilee's face going from shock to utter delight, jumping up and throwing her arms around Logan's neck.

"Oh Wolvie! That's so awesome!" she said, stifling his growl as he reached up to return the hug. He didn't know what to say, so as soon as she was done hugging him, she ran around the table to do the same to K, bouncing as she squeezed her. "Oh man! We get to go baby shopping! Ooh – is it a boy or a girl?" Jubilee asked them, excited and grinning.

"No idea." K replied. "I just hope whatever we get has his eyes." That defused him fast, making him temporarily forget her little jibe about sneaking off on missions. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. In his mind, they had a girl that looked like her. K hoped it was a boy that looked like him. Jean smiled as she read their thoughts. Hoping that soon she'd be able to catch the baby's mental signature.

…...

The weeks went by, the school falling back into the closest version of normalcy they knew. K continued to teach her classes, even after the students heard the news from Jubilee and Bobby about their equine instructor's condition. K was feeling much better as time went on. The extreme fatigue weakened considerably by the time she had to see Celia again to check on the little one. Logan met up with her, determined to find out what they were having. He kissed her as she leaned back, her bump hard to miss now. Celia smiled at them greeting them warmly as she got the equipment ready.

"There will be no internal exams of any kind today.. right?" K said, ready to fight if she needed to. Celia smiled, shaking her head 'no'. K raising an eyebrow at her as she set her head down, Logan kissing her forehead and holding her hand. Celia started the scan, the baby's face popping up quickly on the screen, the heartbeat chugging along. She took measurements, checked the blood flow and the cord, pointed out which ovary was responsible – K making a snarky comment under her breath about which testicle was responsible, and wanting to remove it. Celia then looked at them biting her lip as she asked them if they wanted to know what it was.

"You can tell for sure?" K asked, getting nervous at the idea. Celia nodded. K looked to Logan who answered yes for them. Celia smiled and moved the wand a little further down her belly to show them a bizarre blurry image on screen.

"There she is." Celia said, waiting for a reaction, then pointing out how she could tell the baby was a girl.

"Oh God." K said, breathlessly. "You were right." she said looking at Logan, an involuntary smile creeping on her face. Logan chuckled.

"It's known to happen now and again." he said, kissing her. Now he just hoped she looked like her mother.

…...

It wasn't long after that when various staff members began stopping by K's classes, just hanging out, watching. She ignored it at first, knowing damn well what they were up to. No one said a word to her until she decided to switch to the English saddle – nervous that the horn would cause her trouble. It was Kitty that spoke up, suggesting that maybe it was time for someone else to step in for her class.

"Are you saying I'm not doing my job right?" K asked as the class ended, having ignored her at the time that she said it.

"No, I'm just afraid you're going to fall." Kitty clarified, realizing she may have approached her wrong.

"You don't like me riding like this?" K asked, Kitty finally just admitting it. K mulled it over a moment. As irritating as everyone was getting, she knew it was their way of trying to protect her – which in itself was kind of an irritation.

"There aren't many weeks left for class." K said, thinking out loud. "I don't need someone to take over but if it makes you feel better, I will not straddle a horse until the baby's born." She told her a twinkle in her eye. Kitty smiled at her, yes, that's exactly what she wanted to hear.

The next day, Logan nearly ran to the arena where K's class was following the leader again, K leading the way.

"I thought you weren't riding anymore!" he said to her, frustrated – she just _knew_ Kitty was working recon for him.

"No, I said I wouldn't ride astride. I'm riding side saddle – see? Thought you'd appreciate that, old timer." K told him, turning the horse and continuing on her lesson in perfect form. When the lesson was over, Logan was waiting, arms crossed over his chest. Her dismount was easier today than it was yesterday – instead of having to swing her leg over, she simply slipped her knee off the pommel, kicked her foot from the stirrup and slipped down. He was ready to catch her as she did.

"Woman, you're going to give me a goddamned heart attack." he told her as she slid her hand across his chest.

"Oh, you like it. Want me to wear a skirt tomorrow?" she teased, eyes bright at the thought of picking on him.

"No. I want you to cool it before you fall." he said, his hands resting on her waist. Or what was once her waist. One of the more mouthy students came up behind her, offering up his two cents.

"Honestly, we're all a little worried that you might fall. None of us want to be the one to have to go get Dr. McCoy or … him." he said, nodding to Logan. She turned to face him.

"Let's put it to a vote." she said, calling the class in. She frowned a little when the vote came back overwhelmingly against her, but went along with the class.

"Alright. Logan is free today, so he can run you through your lessons for the rest of the term." She said, looking at him, waiting for an objection, he just shrugged as the students in attendance groaned collectively.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." he said, making her glare. Right. If it was whatever she said, she'd be keeping her class. With class dismissed, she made her way to the mansion, looking for who was available for her other sessions. She had done fine, all the way up to the Monday class. No other teachers were open. She was staring out the window, absently stirring her coffee when Jubilee came to sit near her, watching as she stared off at nothing.

"What's on your mind?" Jubes asked, snapping K out of it as she realized her coffee was now cold.

"Need to figure out who can teach my Monday night class for me. None of the teachers are free." she told her, Jubes immediately reacting.

"That's the beginners class right?" she asked, K nodding as she rose to dump the coffee. "I'm free. I could do it." she told her, bright eyed. K stared at her a moment. Yes, she could. She knew enough, and has demonstrated an aptitude for teaching, helping some of her classmates when they had trouble with some of the more complex things they were learning.

"That would work, actually. I'd still be there, I'm just not riding. You think Charles would go with it?" K said, honestly liking the idea the more she thought it over. Jubilee shrugged.

"Can't hurt to ask." she replied, nibbling on some pretzels.

Ten minutes later, it was approved, and the roster was determined for the remaining classes. She was watching Jubilee run the Monday class, doing very well with them, when Charles came out to the arena, finding a spot near K, watching the young woman handle things with the youngest students.

"You've taught her well." He told her, earning himself a half smile from her. "How are you feeling, K?" he asked, K looking to her feet resting on the railing.

"Useless and fat." she said truthfully, no tone of her feeling sorry for herself though he suspected she was becoming depressed. Charles had to chuckle at her a little. She was nothing if not brutally honest.

"You're halfway there, K. I'm afraid though, that your team mates will only get more protective of you as you progress." He told her, resting his hand on hers. She scoffed.

"Right. Logan's going to lose his mind before this is over, isn't he?" she asked, Charles smiling at her.

"At the rate he's going now? I wouldn't be surprised." He smiled, watching Jubilee take the kids through the mini- course seamlessly. The class ended not long after, Jubilee taking the class up to the rail where K and Charles were. She grinned when K told her it was her class, and to finish up the way she thought best. After she dismissed the group, she waited for them to leave the arena, then turned to them, bouncing in place, asking how she did, both K and Charles smiling at her. The rest of the classes were working similarly, leaving K a little depressed by the end of the week. After that, she only showed to Jubilee's class – as Charles had requested, and skipped the rest all together. She now officially had nothing to do but watch her belly grow. The thought was depressing.

A few weeks later, Logan came in to see her after his group was through, worried about her increasingly depressed state. He found her sleeping in bed, the late afternoon sun making the room and her hair glow a warm coppery tone. He kicked off his boots and slipped in behind her, kissing her shoulder while his hand slid from her hip across to her hand that was resting on her belly. She snuggled into him then pulled her hand out from under his, covering it and pulling his hand where she wanted it, further up her belly, just under her ribcage. He scrunched his brow and picked up his head to look at her, her eyes open now. Just before he could ask her what she was doing, his hand was bumped. The baby was kicking.

"Did you feel that one?" K asked quietly.

"Mm hmm" he murmured as he resumed kissing her shoulder, a smile on his face in spite of himself with a kick hitting him every now and again until he pulled away from her, rolling her onto her back and lifting her shirt, kissing the spot that was getting kicked.

"Simmer down, girl." he rumbled low to her stomach as he kissed his way up to K's chin, the baby seeming to follow her father's wishes. K arched her back into the mattress as Logan worked her over, moaning her newest woe to the heavens.

"No, baby you can't listen to him …. oh God." his touch was sending chills up her spine.

"At least one of ya will listen." he growled out, doing his level best to make her moan if he couldn't get a smile. He was rewarded with both as she reciprocated his affections.

…...

While the rest of the staff was in their classes, K was alone. She wanted to leave, but there was nothing for her to do if she did, aside from shopping, and she just wasn't into it. She stirred her cold coffee idly staring out the window again as Hank made a rare appearance, watching her for a moment from across the kitchen. Although the baby was growing, K had not gained very much weight. In fact, her face was looking a little hollow, he thought, and her collarbone was definitely more pronounced. He decided to try to have a civil word with her.

"How are you feeling today, my dear?" he asked as he joined her with a cup of coffee. She dropped her eyes to the cup in her hand, trying to force a smile as he sat with her.

"No major complaints." she said quietly.

"How about some minor ones then?" he said, finally getting a tiny smile from her as she shook her head.

"I'll live. How are you?" she asked, flicking her eyes to meet his, her head still pointed towards the table.

"In fine feather as always." he smiled. "Perhaps you'd permit me to join you for lunch in a bit?" he asked, hoping to actually see her eat. She predictably turned him down.

"I'm not feeling much like eating. Don't worry though, I'll choke something down later." she said. Self consciously gripping her cold cup of coffee tighter.

"Have you eaten today yet?" he asked, realizing it was nearly noon already. She paused then came clean, shaking her head. His mouth tightened as he watched her.

"Then I'm afraid I won't be leaving your side until you indulge me in a bit of sustenance." he informed her, her shoulders slumping. She knew he was right, but she just felt ill. When he saw for himself that she just couldn't eat without turning green, sure enough he insisted she join him in the lab for a once over. Celia looked concerned when she saw her, leaving her work and rushing over to check on her.

"What's the problem?" she asked Hank, looking K over as they guided her to the bed.

"She looks as though she's not eating well at all. I just want to check her out." Hank explained. The pair began checking her over, one pulling a little blood, but having trouble doing so as her blood pressure was very low. Hank changed tactics immediately, finding a vein in her hand and putting in an IV.

"Hey, wait a minute," she started to protest before Hank cut her off.

"Have you been dizzy?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, yeah, but I thought -"

"Have you fainted recently?" he asked looking more serious.

"I don't think … maybe." she admitted. "I didn't fall, I swear, but I can't remember a little bit from earlier." He looked very irritated as Celia pulled the ultrasound around again, as he double checked her blood pressure. She laid back while the two fluttered around her, she had to close her eyes, the room was spinning and she was sure she was going to vomit. She raised a hand, resting it on Celia's arm as sweat broke across her face. When she saw the look on K's face she pushed Hank away and guided her onto her left side. The nausea slowly ebbing as she curled up into a fetal position, her eyes still closed and her hand on her forehead.

"You're staying here tonight, K." Celia told her, K just nodded, feeling too ill to argue. After she'd gathered up herself for a bit Celia returned and started the ultrasound with K still on her side. Baby was fine, wriggling and sucking her thumb. Partway through the test, Logan came in, alarm written on his features as K attempted to smile weakly at him.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, staring at K.

"Be nice to her. It's hard being pregnant." Celia said, not looking up at him. "She's dehydrated and needs to gain a little weight. Baby's taking it out of her faster than she can put it in." She explained.

"She just needs to eat a more." Hank said, looking at Logan as if he could force it to happen.

"Well, that's not going to happen if she's feeling ill, now is it?" Celia asked testily. "She's only gained about 4 pounds so far, which is nothing. The baby is measuring a little small too. Blood came back clean, so the adamantium isn't affecting her _yet._ She stays here tonight. I'll make sure she has some anti-nausea medications tomorrow." Logan sat next to her, stroking her hair as K closed her eyes. Why the hell couldn't she just have one thing go easy in life?

"You want me to bring you something?" he asked. She just shook her head no. She was down before, but now she was feeling like dirt. She couldn't talk for the lump in her throat.

"How 'bout I just keep you company then?" he asked concern still on his face. She didn't know how to answer. He shouldn't have to lose sleep just because she couldn't manage to take care of herself right. When she didn't answer he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, long and sweet as he cupped the back of her head. The bond between them was rich with self doubt and misery on top of the low rumble of depression that had been building in the past weeks. It would take an act of God to keep him away from her tonight.

…...

"I'm sorry, K but you have to stay longer. Even with the meds you can't keep down much. We have to get you leveled out before you can leave." Celia told her the next morning. She couldn't argue much. She was dead tired all of a sudden and yes, her stomach was off. It wasn't long before the two doctors decided to try sedating her a bit and then try to get her to eat. After a semi-acceptable reaction, and half a day with the docs, she was cut loose with instructions to come right back if she felt ill at all. Logan was now more worried about her than before. Her depression just got deeper, and he felt she just needed a break. He made arrangements with Scott to take off for a while as soon as K was up to travel again.


	14. Comfort and Torment

Logan watched K sleeping next to him on the way up to his cabin. He'd thought long and hard over where they should go, but the possibility of her neighbor poking' his nose in had him irritated. He still wasn't sure what it was about Bill that had him on edge, but he just couldn't trust the guy. He'd initially tried to brush it off to the fact that he'd admitted he'd tried to go after K, but that didn't feel right. There was something else – something she missed, likely from their longstanding friendship that she overlooked. Either way, it wasn't going to matter for this trip. No one bothered him at his cabin except maybe Sabretooth and SHIELD, and Sabretooth was dead, so as long as Fury didn't want his ass kicked across the Rockies, they should be in good shape.

On arriving to the cabin, Logan started unpacking their supplies, K carrying in more than he wanted her to, just ignoring him as he told her to stop. He ushered her to the bedroom and got her to lay down there while he got something cooking. He'd promised Henry that he'd make sure she ate, and although K was complying, she was already getting tired of the special treatment he was giving her. Being spoiled was one thing, this didn't feel like getting spoiled. To his credit, he didn't mention once that she 'had to do this' as was more common at Xaviers. His concern was with her. Henry was hypothesizing that her illness had to be based on the hormones in her system, otherwise her healing factor would have blasted it. As he explained to them, the dizziness, fatigue, and delicate stomach were symptoms that all with the baby was well, and there was nothing they could do about it, other than just try to keep her just above survival mode.

…...

Jean and Scott were fielding trouble calls left and right. It seems that after months of nothing going on with the brotherhood, everything decided to happen at once. Scott was just relieved that Logan had refused to fly to his hideaway, otherwise he'd have to call him back in. As it was, he found himself considering it a few times. He just hoped that K would have a better perspective when they got back. The women had already decided that they'd have to do something for her on their return. Jean crossed her fingers that she wouldn't get mad at them for it.

…...

It took K nearly a whole week to destress and start to come back to herself. Part of it was the quiet and the isolation from all the people in their lives. Another part was the way Logan was taking care of her – giving her space when she needed it, showering her with affection when she was over being alone, and bringing in fresh game. THAT was something she'd been missing. Nothing was better to her than some good venison, and she hadn't killed any at the institute under the assumption that they were like his pets. When he came in with fresh back straps, she realized that was an error on her part, and as it turned out, exactly what she needed. Her appetite and energy level began to rise as she got more venison and fresh berries in her system. He was surprised how she improved so fast, hell, she was teasing him shortly after that.

"So my girls need wild meat?" he asked after she'd gotten downright frisky with him.

"Guess so. Thank you for this." she told him as she nibbled at his ear, showering him with affection. He leaned back, letting her do her thing, returning her advances in kind and deeply enjoying how she was choosing to 'thank' him. He was thinking to himself that he could live with hiding in the woods with her on a more permanent basis if this is what she wanted to do to say thanks. After another week, they headed back. She was back to herself. Poor girl just needed the trees and fresh air. He could definitely understand that.

…...

On arriving at the institute, he crawled into bed with her, more than willing to lavish a little more attention on her as they both needed to recuperate a little from the long drive. The next morning, he slipped out of bed and into the woods. If venison was what she needed, then that's what she was going to get. She woke up to the smell of fresh blood. Slightly alarmed, she sat up looking around, no sign of injury to herself, but Logan was gone. She hopped out of bed and looked around the little boathouse, no sign of any problems, she stepped outside stopping dead in her tracks when she saw the half butchered deer hanging in a tree nearby, Logan finishing up his work quickly.

"You didn't have to do that." she said quietly as he tossed another piece in the basin next to him.

"Sure I did. If it makes you feel better, I'll do it." he told her with a little smile. "Besides, it tastes a hell of a lot better than anything else." he said, turning back to his job at hand. She watched him for a moment then headed back inside. She was sure someone at the mansion would have something negative to say about it, but she didn't care right at the moment. He was right – nothing was better, and it's not like she was going to clear out the herd by taking one. When Hank talked to her about her improvements, he laughed outright when he heard what the remedy for her poor condition was.

"I'm not surprised at all. I should have thought of it – you both need more protein when you heal. Nothing is more pure than wild game." Hank commented, very pleased with her improved condition.

Jubilee, Chloe and Zoe had taken to following K around when she was at the mansion, any one of them telling her with a fair bit of regularity how cute she thought K's bump was – which irritated her to no end. She could see nothing cute about it. When she looked in the mirror, she thought she looked as though she'd swallowed a watermelon, and it hurt. All the time. The well wishing was getting too invasive for her. Various team mates would greet her with a hug then rest their hand on her belly hoping to feel the baby kick, and it had her ready to remove someone's hand. Which, was why when Jean pulled Logan aside to ask his thoughts on doing a shower for her, he bristled.

"Not a good idea." he warned her, a deadly serious look on his face.

"But that's what you're supposed to do!" she objected smiling. He shook his head.

"Come up with something else. She's not going to go along with that at all. Fer christsakes, Jeannie, she was ready to cut Scott's hand off this morning for touching her. Don't. Do. It." He told her.

"She didn't want the wedding either, but that was fantastic." Jean argued.

"Yeah, that was different, and I agreed with you girls for that. Just please, trust me on this one. BAD idea." He reiterated, finally turning away from her and heading off to the danger room. He and Scott were trying a few new programs out. Jean frowned. Jubilee had spent a lot of time with K lately. She'd be a good second opinion.

"Oh man." Jubilee looked torn. "I want to do that like, so bad, but no. I don't think that's going to work. She like really hates the attention right now." Jean was stumped. She was sure Jubes would jump at the chance to shop. She tried to get Kitty and Storm in on her plan, but both of them immediately said no.

"She's not going to stand for it, Jean. You'd be better to throw something after the baby's here. Everyone will want to see her anyhow." Kitty said reasonably. That actually sounded like a great idea. She started planning, Jubilee more than excited to join in on this scheme instead.

…...

Classes started at a chaotic time for the team. Scott, Logan and Storm especially, burning the candle at both ends. If they weren't in class, they generally were all out on separate missions, various other team members joining them as they were needed. Most of them were pick up missions, and it seemed like Logan was getting all the hard cases, routinely coming in looking like he'd been through the wringer. He barely got to see K, and when he did, he was always grateful that no matter how singed or shredded he was, she happily wrapped her arms around him and greeted him in a manner that made him glad to be home. It was after a particularly rough mission that he simply passed out, barely having made it to bed, still wearing what was left of his uniform, still wearing his cowl. He didn't move when K stripped him down and jockeyed him under the covers. When he didn't wake up at the alarm, she took pity on him and decided to cover his History class. She brewed a pot of coffee in case he woke up and headed up to the school, Jubilee thrilled to see her as she took his place. When class was over, she simply headed back to the boathouse, finding him still asleep. He didn't have anything for the rest of the day, so she dressed down and joined him, waking him as she pulled the covers up.

"Gotta get to class." he mumbled as she turned to him and kissed him gently, cuddling in to him.

"Class is over. You don't have to do anything right now." she told him. "I covered for you." He smiled, not opening his eyes as he nestled his nose in her hair, enjoying her scent and playfully nipping her. She was happy to stay that way too, until she got a sharp pain in her side, not long after really getting comfortable, startling her out of her blissful moment. She tried to not bother him, ignoring the pain for the time being. When he woke up a few minutes later, she was sitting up, her feet over the edge of the bed, clenching her side as she curled up on herself, her face showing her pain as she held her breath.

"Sweetheart, come on, you're goin' to see Hank." He said seriously as he pulled on some jeans. She shook her head no, waiting for it to pass. "I'm not askin' darlin." he told her, scooping her up and carrying her up to the med lab as she halfheartedly held on to him, biting through her lip as she tried to focus on something else. Hank spent exactly two seconds looking at her as Logan carried her in before drawing a shot to stop her labor. As soon as she was in a bed and the shot was administered, he instructed Logan to help her out of her clothes. She allowed him to help with her bottom half, but drew the line at removing her shirt. Celia drew a curtain around her and checked her out, finding the need to keep her.

"We have a small problem." Celia said as she stopped her examination. "You're pretty far dilated, and you may end up having this baby today if we can't stop it. If you can wait two more weeks, I'll be happy." she was adjusting medications, hitting her from all sides for the next 2 days, trying to make sure nothing was going anyhwere.

Finally, Celia sent her home with strict instructions to stay off her feet, and to come back if she had any pains - anywhere. She grumbled under her breath when Charles caught them on their way out.

"It might be wiser to have the two of you stay here in the mansion until this is over. Not so far to walk and help is quicker." Charles said "And, of course, we have your old room ready for you." he smiled at them. K shaking her head.

"How long have you been planning this?" she asked him. Charles just smiled before turning around and cruising off.

Three weeks later, Logan was on a mission when it started up again, this time with a vengeance. If not for Scott checking on her, she'd have been in big trouble. She had tried to head down to see Hank when it hit her in full, taking her to her knees before she got out the door. Scott was bringing her some lunch and let himself in when she didn't answer his knock. She was on the floor on her hands and knees, clearly in pain. He got her to the lab, but it was an uphill battle. She was progressing quickly, and Celia said it was time to just let it happen.

"I'll call Logan." Scott said, looking for something to do.

"NO." K shouted at him. "Let him finish his job." She told him. Yeah. He was going to stand by and let her go through this alone, simultaniously pissing off Logan for NOT calling.

"Right. That's not how this is going to happen." he told her, leaving the room to make the call. K swore under her breath as Celia left her a moment to check on her labwork. She felt like her back was breaking - one vertebra at a time. Hank was alarmed, but Celia stopped him when he made to get K to get into bed. When the two doctors looked like they were preoccupied, she made to leave, her instincts telling her to get the hell out of the lab.

"Wait! Where do you think you're going?" Celia shouted to her as the door closed behind her. K pointedly ignored her, trying to make distance before another contraction hit her. She didn't make it far though as Logan and Scott stepped in front of her down the hallway, coming in from the hangar.

She cringed and turned, leaning on the wall as it hit her again, trying to ignore it as the two men came to her, slapping at them when they tried to guide her back to the lab.

"You can't do this, K. You need medical attention." Scott told her. There was no warning as she popped her claws at him, Scott backing up as she did so.

"Go on, Scooter. I got her." Logan said, waiting for the pain to pass from her eyes before trying to talk to her. "Sweetheart, it's not for you, it's for her. What do you wanna do?" he asked.

"Air. I need air." she said as Logan nodded, supporting her as they made their way outside. They weren't far when Celia came rushing out to them, putting a com in Logan's hand.

"Call when she needs help." she told him, trying to allow them the space K clearly needed. She went on until she was in the woods, stopping from time to time as she needed to, waiting for the contractions to pass. The constant aching eased considerably when her water broke. She took a deep breath and stood up a little straighter, looking at him as if she didn't know what to do with herself, until the next one hit her, much harder than before, making her hold on to him, leaning forward as it brought her to her knees. Enough was enough. He turned her towards the mansion as he called for help.

"No, I need to be outside." she squeaked out, Logan on his knees next to her.

"Sweetheart, I get it. I do. The fresh air helps when you're hurtin', but now is not the time. You gotta go in now." He told her. Back in the lab, K was tense, miserable. Things were going slowly and she was wearing out. When she threatened to stab Hank, Logan leaned into her, kissing her ear. "You gotta stab someone, stab me." he told her as he kissed her neck. She considered it for a minute, instead she bit him as the next contraction hit her, grasping on to him and crying out for the first time. The anguish in her voice hit him hard as he realized she'd been holding back from making much noise. Celia checked on her progress, quickly pulling out all she needed as the baby began to crown, K finally screaming into his shoulder. A few minutes later, the baby's squeaky cries echoed in the lab causing them both to relax, Logan kissing her sweaty head as she finally leaned back, pale from blood loss as Celia set the baby on K's chest, covered in a blanket. When all the medical necessities were finished, Celia made to check on K again, finding her bleeding had stopped entirely, and when she pulled the sheet up to look at her more properly, she was nearly back to herself, skinnier than before she was pregnant, actually, having lost much muscle in the past months.

"I think you're all healed." Celia said, as she pressed on K's abdomen. "Does this hurt at all?" she asked as K shook her head, one eyebrow cocked. "Because it should hurt a lot." Celia explained, disbelief on her face. There was no way in hell this woman could just give birth then pop back like nothing had happened. K shrugged.

"Healing factor?" K asked as she swung her legs over the bed, planning on heading to the showers. Logan was sitting across the room with the little one asleep on his chest as he held her.

"It's just not fair. I'm going with you to the showers." Celia said "If you've got your figure back I'm going to have to slap you." K looked at Logan over her shoulder as she made to head off, planning on washing off all the blood. Ten minutes later, Celia came back into the lab, shaking her head and stopping dead when she saw Logan.

"You had better damn well control yourself, mister. If she ends up pregnant again I will kick your ass." she snarled. When K returned, she was wearing her old bluejeans and a flannel that had previously been baggy on her - now it was fitting a little too snug across her chest, and the jeans were clearly loose. Yeah, some of the resident ladies were going to take this badly. When Scott and Jean came to see the little one at the boathouse a few hours later, they were shocked at K's appearance.

"But you look ... great. You're supposed to be tired looking at least." Jean said, her mouth open. K again just shrugged.

"Guess it's my super power. Looking like a human after going through labor." K grumbled. Logan had to disagree to himself. She didn't just look human. She looked fantastic. The blush was back to her cheeks, her figure was back with a vengeance and she was a natural with their baby. Now he understood why Celia had snapped at him. He'd have to learn some better methods of self control because he was ready to drag her to the bedroom by her hair if necessary. Jean and Scott melted over the little one, whose name had yet to be decided. As they were ready to leave, Jean gave K a hug and whispered to her.

"I really wanted to do a baby shower for you, but they told me that was a bad idea." Jean said.

"Oh God. Thanks for listening to them." K said, relief washing across her face. "That would have been miserable." Jean smiled kindly.

"But I would like very much to have a party now for you guys. Same premise as a shower, only the ones that show get to see the little one." Jean said, wincing as she expected K to get angry. Instead, she looked at Logan and thought it over for a moment.

"That wouldn't be terrible. In fact, baby would be the center of attention, not me, so yeah. That will work." she said surprising everyone but Logan. Flabbergasted, Jean shrugged her shoulders up and wide eyed started to stammer.

"Well, I guess just let me know what her name is, and I'll get it rolling." Jean said, looking to Scott for guidance as they left. Logan smiled as he wrapped his arm around his wife, kissing her on the temple.

"That was nice of you." he told her, nodding towards the now closed door. K shrugged.

"It's going to be stupid, but it'll make her happy." She grumbled as the little one started to squirm, K unbuttoning her flannel to feed her. Hastily, he got up, deciding that making K something to eat was a good idea, distance being his friend, rather than staring at her bare chest. He returned with food for her at nearly the exact moment the little one was done, K trading with him and taking her time buttoning back up. She caught him looking her over, deadly serious look on his face as his eyes skimmed over her body. "Do I look that bad?" she asked, his eyebrows popped up as he slowly shook his head no. She looked at him strangely. She thought she was mistaken, interpreting his emotions through the bond, but apparently not. He was unashamedly checking her out. Already. Oh God. She blushed bright red as he leered at her.

"How about Piper?" K asked, trying to shift his focus. He blinked a few times before looking down at the baby and shaking his head.

"What about Abigail?" She tried. He considered it. "It means 'Joy of the father.'" she told him. He smirked.

"Abbey?" he asked, looking at the little one as she yawned. It fit her. He'd make sure to tell Jean the next time they saw her, but for now, he was enjoying his little family. K yawned as she finished eating. She was worn out. She made her way to the bedroom to change into something she could sleep in, Logan unable to stop himself from watching her slip into some loose fitting pajamas, turning towards him as she finished her last buttons. She smiled as she slipped into bed, pulling the blanket up as she snuggled in, Logan gently rising and taking little Abbey to her bassinette next to the bed, and slipping in behind K, pulling her to him, amazed at how tiny she was compared to the day before. He almost felt guilty, she felt like a different woman in his arms until she turned to face him, pressing against him and kissing him, his body reacting to her touch.

"I know I'm healed, but you're going to have to cool it." She told him, Logan nodding in agreement as he leaned in again, kissing her neck. She was sure she'd have to chastize him when he began to move down her body, unbuttoning her shirt. "Logan -" she started to say before he cut her off.

"I just want to look at you. And kiss you." he said, his hands slipping across her. When he was done, she was naked but for her panties and he'd kissed every inch of her, stopping when he pulled her to him tightly again, as if she might disappear. There was comfort for him in her presence, even if not being able to take her was torture.


	15. The Lovers Find a New Pace

It took them a couple weeks to get into the swing of things. Abbey was sleeping well, waking only really for feeding and diaper changes, then snuggling back in to sleep. With K fully healed, she wasn't as tired as most new moms are, so she would lay awake a bit after Abbey would fall asleep again in the middle of the night. Usually Logan would be up with her, watching the two of them and helping where he could, but this time, he was blissfully asleep, looking totally peaceful. She watched his chest rise and fall, the even pace very soothing to her. She laid the baby down, and crawled over to her husband, pulling the covers off his muscled form slowly so she could admire him. He didn't wake up until she was kissing her way down his chest.

"Whoa, darlin' – slow down." he rasped. He didn't particularly want to stop her, but felt like he should. He took her hands off his hips when she started to pull his boxers down while she continued south. She looked up at him, wanting to do – something, anything to him.

"It's been too long. Please, let me." her voice husky, chills running up his spine as her hot breath hit him below his belly button, K landing soft kisses on him, urging him to give her hands back. "I won't bite." She wasn't even trying to pull her hands away, just darting her tongue out, as she kissed her way across him, going as far down as he'd allow, his grip slowly loosening as his breathing got rougher until he let her go altogether, K resting her hands on his chest, wanting him to ask for it now as she nipped at his hip. He didn't realize how much she was controlling herself. Going down on him was not exactly what she wanted, but if that's all she could get, she'd happily take it. He broke contact with her long enough to remove his boxers, against his better judgment. She eagerly started on him, her actions more bold than normal even for her. She was aggressive with him, clearly enjoying herself, and for once not fighting him even when his hands snaked into her hair, pulling her off him.

"Easy now … you don't have to do this, honey. What's got into you?" he asked, trying to keep from following his instincts. Had she continued, she'd have found herself on her back with him having his way with her. He had to stop her. Then he saw her face. Her eyes were hungry as she tried to find the words.

"I just _want_ you." she admitted quietly, a rasp to her voice.

"Sweetheart, are you even ready for this?" he asked her, biting his cheek as he tried to control his urges, she looked torn. Couldn't he see how much she wanted him? She was starting to doubt that the feeling was mutual. He slid his hands to her shoulders and pulled her up, so he could look her in the eye. She looked despondent, feeling that he was rejecting her advances. He didn't need to have a feral bond to know what she was thinking, one look at her face said it all.

"No, don't look like that, darlin'." he said quietly, tipping her chin towards him as her eyes remained downcast. She knew it was stupid, but she was hurt. She apologized and laid back down, pulling the covers back up, trying to force herself to sleep. Her eyes refused to stay shut so she watched Abbey sleep instead. Logan felt awful. Every single fiber of his being was telling him to go ahead and take her but he truly was concerned about hurting her somehow. He knew it was him being overprotective, but Celia's warning was stuck in his head. He didn't want to end up getting her pregnant right off the bat. He laid there, staring at the ceiling for nearly two hours. Sleep was not going to find him tonight. When Abbey woke up, he took her and changed her, returning her to K, who seemed to go through the feeding process almost mechanically. She sat up and kissed her, rocking her until she started to fall asleep, standing up to pace the room, humming a familiar tune to her. When Abbey let out a stuttered sigh, K knew she was out, so she carefully laid her back in the bassinet and went to the kitchen, leaving her with Logan, thinking he was resting. Logan however, had just been watching her. The way her flannel swayed across her hips, barely covering her panties, her hair tousled and loose. Why the _fuck_ had he turned her down. When was the last time she'd gone after him that aggressively? He'd been controlling his actions by convincing himself that she needed some space after all she'd been through. He was sure she wouldn't want him touching her like that for a while after hearing her screaming while giving birth. Her screams were just as intense as when they had her in the tank at Department K. No one would take a chance at repeating that kind of agony, right? Now that he knew how wrong he was, it was all he could think about, his mental picture was getting more and more dirty. Fond dark memories of her writhing beneath him panting in his ear were becoming vivid in his mind.

He found her drinking a glass of water, staring into the darkness outside. She either wasn't paying attention when he came in or she was trying to ignore him. He sat down next to her and she gave him a sad but friendly smile before dropping her gaze again. He reached over and put her glass down, then without another word, he pushed her back into the couch, returning to her the same treatment she'd given him, only not stopping when she tried to pull him up by his hair. He continued until she was moaning into the pillow and trying to buck away as he held her where he wanted her, begging him to stop. Breathless, her legs shaking and covered with a veil of sweat, he wanted more as he looked down at her spread out before him. She actually had some sense to look a bit nervous as he peeled off his boxers and settled himself between her legs. They finished in enough time for K to take a quick shower before the little one woke up, Logan humming to her as he held her, rocking her, waiting for K to feed her, the sweetest smile on his face as he took in the little one's scent.

…...

"Come on, darlin'. We gotta get up there soon." he called out as he rocked little Abbey, her blue eyes shining up at him as she studied his face.

"I look awful." K said back from the other side of the bedroom door. "Nothing looks good on me."

"Bullshit. You look good in a paper bag. Come on out." he growled, K finally stepping out, and as far as he was concerned, she looked great. Sexy even. The sweater didn't fit quite right though. To K it looked as if she was showcasing her breasts, seeing as it was a tad tight there, then baggy everywhere else. Her jeans hung from her hips a little, and she demonstrated her concerns to Logan. When she reached over her head her hip bones poked out over the top of her jeans as her sweater rode up, earning her a growl from him.

"Alright, you made your point. Go change." he barked, K raising an eyebrow at him in a silent 'told you so' before peeling off the sweater and exchanging it for one of her favorite flannels and a white t-shirt. She decided she'd rather be comfortable than stylish. He grabbed the front of her jeans and pulled her closer.

"Your pants are fallin' off, sweetheart." he told her. "You're too damn skinny." She frowned, looking down at herself.

"I know. I've been eating like a horse, but I can't do anything about it. She's takin' it outta me." she said, returning to the bedroom for a belt. He kissed her when she returned, the three of them headed up to Jean's party for Abbey. They were running late, as expected and when they got there, most of their friends and extended family were waiting. K put Logan on Abbey watch and slipped off away from the crowd for a minute before they could get full tilt on the hugging. She just didn't want to be touched at the moment. Her breasts were tender, and many of their friends were enthusiastic huggers. She slipped into the kitchen fairly unnoticed and stuck her head in the fridge, searching for one of Logan's hidden six packs. It was high time she had a brew. Far in the back she found it hidden behind some two liters. Smiling, she cracked one open as she closed the door. Leaning on the counter, she tipped it back, eyes closed as she more or less drained it. Of course she'd get caught. Logan had handed Abbey off to Kitty and he spotted her as she was mid pull. He waited until she lowered the bottle before he busted her.

"Sneakin' off for beer. You should be ashamed." he teased, K nearly dropping it as she opened her eyes to see him grinning at her.

"You should be ashamed for hiding it." she countered. "As if I wouldn't know you weren't holding up your end of the bargain." He shrugged guiltily before stepping up to her and pressing her into the cabinetry as he kissed her.

"You still shouldn't be drinking." he told her trying to take the bottle from her. She pressed the cold bottle against his neck.

"No, no. Beer's OK. Ask Hank. Good for the milk bar." she countered finishing off the last couple swigs. He smirked and began working his way down her neck.

"You don't need any help there, darlin'." he told her as his hand drifted up her side and he copped a feel. K's eyes closing as she leaned forward into him.

"We're going to have to stop. I'm pretty sure Jean didn't throw this party so we could get horizontal." She told him as he lifted her onto the counter top.

"Who said anything about horizontal?" he asked stepping between her legs and nipping at her neck. Kitty walked in holding Abbey, who was starting to complain.

"Alright. Jeez. The baby isn't even a month old and you two are at it already? Come ON. Are you trying for Irish twins?" she teased as Logan turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face.

"Is it so bad for a guy to be happy?" he asked her, not stepping back from his wife yet.

"No, it's not. I just didn't realize that to make you happy would mean so much sex." She said bluntly. "Which brings us to Abbey. I can't make _her_ happy. She's met about half of everyone here then she got mad. I don't know what she wants." Logan turned for that, taking the little one from his adopted oldest. Abbey relaxing once he let her cuddle next to his neck, a tiny sigh a few minutes later let them know that she'd fallen asleep.

"She was tired." Logan told her. "Just had to hold her." Kitty shook her head.

"I did that. She wanted you." she told him, hands on her hips. He couldn't help but smirk.

The party went on exactly as Jean had hoped. Once word got out that the little one was asleep, the noise level dropped considerably as the group as a whole just wanted to see her. Heather was charmed with her long dark hair and blue eyes, declaring them to be Logan's. Storm saw K's nose and cheekbones in her face. K couldn't tell who she looked like. She'd written it off that she was just too little to know yet. Give her some time to grow. Some of the more matured students were there, making a point of telling K they missed their classes with her and wanted to know when she'd be back. She couldn't answer them, not knowing how long it would take for Abbey to get herself on a schedule. K had to take the little one from Heather a little while later, retreating to their old room to let her nurse, the party continuing in their absence. When it was all said and done, and the dust had settled, K was a little worn from all the attention. As much as she'd planned on it being all about the baby, there was plenty of attention to her and her figure, some of their friends boldly putting their hands on her waist, or in Storm's case, her hips examining for themselves her physical condition. She had gotten uncomfortable, and made a point of telling them so as a few of the women tried to sneak a peek at her stomach.

"Enough! You girls are worse than the guys at making me feel like a piece of ass. Just stop!" she half growled. Storm looked at her, surprised.

"We're just admiring your figure. Have you and Logan..." she drifted off, raising her eyebrows. K couldn't believe her ears.

"I'm leaving now. And for the record, my hips should NOT stick out like this." she said, her brows furrowed as she walked away from them. Logan spotted her from across the room when she yawned hugely, trying to hide it as she made her way to him.

"Time for bed, darlin'?" he said, pulling her into a kiss. She shook her head.

"You can stay, but I have to go. I've had enough." She replied. He nodded.

"Then we're done here. C'mon. Lets get you in bed." he told her, reclaiming their daughter from Charles, who looked near tears as he held the tiny child, a grin on his face as he watched the little girl stare at him.

"She's very smart, Logan." he told him, "As clever a child as I've ever met." Logan looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"That surprise you somehow, Charlie? She takes after her mother after all." he grinned, heading back to his wife who was trying to get away from a few of the Avengers members that had shown with well wishes. When they returned to the boat house, K was exhausted. She kissed Logan and took the little one from him, Abbey was worn out as well. His girls, as he liked to call them, retreated to the bedroom and soon found themselves asleep, Abbey in her little bassinet and K on the bed, fully dressed shoes and all, her hand on the bassinet. By the time he got in to check on them, they were completely out. He took it on himself to help K get more comfortable, removing her clothing that he considered 'unnecessary for sleep', leaving her in her panties and t-shirt. On closer inspection, she really was too skinny. Her hip bones were jutting out enough now that when she was wearing something over them, the fabric stretched between the bones, leaving a gap between her belly and the cloth. She was getting skeletal. He covered her up and called Kitty to come down and keep them company. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted someone with her while he hunted, she just looked so ... frail. Maybe he was just being over protective, but then again …

Kitty showed up with her laptop, happy to be there. She promised she'd simply phase K and Abbey out if a threat appeared. Logan thanked her and slipped into the woods. Venison had worked before to build her up a little. Maybe it will do it again.

He wasn't far into the woods when he found the herd of deer. It was hunting season, and usually if he was stalking the deer this time of year, it was for the purpose of kicking out trespassers that were poaching on the property. This year was different. He was pleased when he found his quarry, and quickly chose the one he would bring home. When he returned to the boathouse, all was quiet. No sign of any trouble. He came in with some fresh meat, Kitty wrinkling her nose when she saw it. He dropped it on a cutting board and washed up, inviting Kitty to stay for dinner. She thought about it a minute and decided to give it a try. They paid big money for meat like this in Chicago. K woke up not long after, slipping on a pair of yoga pants and her flannel. She startled Kitty as she leaned on the counter next to her. The three of them enjoyed themselves, quietly nibbling and chatting as Kitty told them about the gossip at the mansion, occasionally raving about Logan's cooking skills. When Abbey woke up and began to make noise, Logan jumped up, motioning for K to stay while he took care of things. Kitty watched him go with a smile on her face.

"I always guessed he'd be a great dad." she said, turning to K. "I never said this to you, but I should have a long time ago. You've been really good for him. I'm glad you two got together." K turned in her seat, watching Logan in the next room as he made over his daughter.

"I still can't believe he asked me to marry him." K said, shaking her head as she nibbled at her steak. "I've never been a pretty girl. I'm not girly. I drink and fight and curse. Seriously. How did I get so damned lucky?"

"You know, he said nearly the same thing about you. It's just a good match, and for the record, you're not pretty. You've got an almost noble beauty to you." Kitty replied quietly, K laughing sure that Kitty had hit her head as Logan brought the little one out to her mother, a crooked smile on her little face as she tried to raise her tiny eyebrows at her father.

"You're up, sweetheart." Logan growled out, handing her to K, who took her to the couch where she could sit easier to feed her. Kitty stood and gave Logan a hug around the neck before heading back to the house, smiling as she heard K humming to the little one at her breast.

…...

As the fall turned into winter, things kept pace pretty much as they always had. Abbey was two months old when K started the horse classes again. The holidays came and went with the usual fanfare. A card from Bill kept K in touch with how her cabin was faring. It was proving to be a particularly nasty winter and he finally conceded that he wouldn't be able to keep the path clear. K assured him when she called that it would be fine. He mentioned in passing that his brother out west would need some help come spring time if she could break away for a week. She thanked him for keeping her in mind and asked to call again when they got closer, already having learned from the rest of the team that making plans wasn't always the greatest of ideas. Abbey was growing quickly. She wasn't following Celia's growth charts, but K wasn't concerned. She was small for her age, Celia said. Too light, too short. K laughed, pointing out that neither of her parents were Amazons and that she was small at birth too, having only tipped the scales at a little over five pounds. Charles was right though, she was incredibly bright. The telepaths couldn't get enough of her. She couldn't speak yet, but her thoughts were loud, clear and brash. By the time she was six months old, her eyes had changed color, finally settling on the same icy blue her father had, though the shape was nearly identical to K's. Her hair was growing and lightening up, and she'd made a habit of making the women of the mansion laugh as they tried to put bows in it. Her tiny reach was just enough to knock them off her head. She was starting to babble and she found it amusing to babble over Scott in particular whenever she heard him talking, sometimes shouting so loud, she had her little fists balled up as she wrinkled her brow, working hard at drowning him out. It didn't help that Logan encouraged it, or that even Jean and Charles laughed when it happened. The only problem was that both K and Logan were feeling the draw of the north, the longing to be in the woods getting stronger as time wore on. K was still off of active duty as Abbey was still breastfeeding. Logan came back from a mission in Saskatchewan, just shaking his head.

"Hey love. Guess who has teeth?" K said, smiling at him as she kissed him, Logan dropping his cowl on a chair as he pulled her closer by her hip. He smiled to himself as he rubbed his thumb across her side. She was muscling up again, filling out in the best ways while he was away.

"We gotta get outta here, darlin'." he announced as he dropped onto the couch, Abbey reaching for him immediately. She loved when her daddy wore his uniform. She'd lean on his chest poking the stripes at his shoulders, and running her tiny finger along the line between black and yellow, getting frustrated at who knows what as she'd slap him. She didn't do it with anyone else, just him. She focused on his stripes like it was the only thing in the world that mattered. He had turned to talk to K when she was poking him, the pair discussing where they needed to go. Logan's argument was for his cabin, K for her cottage. Promises were made and plans fell into place to go back to K's cottage, Abbey finally biting her father's stripe, showing him just how sharp her little teeth were.


	16. It's a Small World

The cabin was stale and dusty when they opened it up. Pretty much everything was as they'd left it over a year ago. K started up a fire to take the chill out of the place while Logan brought in more wood. It had been a rough winter for sure, there were some massive drifts still dotting the landscape on the way up to the cabin, It was the time of year when the locals down at the old greasy spoon diners were still bitching about the fairly normal temperatures for 'spring' in the U.P. and recounting the horrors of their childhood winters while picking at their steel cut oatmeal and sipping on the decaf.

As soon as the chill was lifted, K started cooking. The weather was getting ready to take a turn and she wanted to have plenty they could heat up over the fire if they should lose power, as was common to happen with any halfway decent snow or rain storm, or hell, if she thought about it, if the wind blew the right way and pissed off a squirrel. It wasn't a concern in the warmer months, but with little Abbey demanding real food now, K needed to have a contingency plan in place.

They were just done eating when the long expected knock on the door happened. Logan tried to put on his closest version of a friendly face as he rose up to let Bill in, finding him beaming when he opened the door, warmly greeting Logan like they'd long been old friends. K had just gotten Abbey to sleep and had put her to bed, stepping out from the bedroom as the two men sat down in the living room, chatting about all that had happened since last they'd been at the cottage.

"Well, where is she?" Bill asked, eyes bright.

"Just went to sleep." K said as she made to sit next to Logan, ending up being pulled down onto his lap instead, Logan's arm slipping around her waist smoothly, urging her to get comfortable.

"Oh, well, I'm sure I'll get a peek before you leave. Say, who does she take after?" he asked, thinking it would get a rise from one of them. K shrugged and Logan of course said her.

"Too early to tell, I think." K said, not convinced of Logan's viewpoint.

"Come on, sweetheart. She looks like a little version of you. She's even a little hard ass." Logan grumbled, K giving him a sidelong glance.

"And I suppose you're the picture of perfect behavior?" she snarked. Logan just smiled and nodded, waggling his eyebrows for emphasis. She laughed out loud, and leaned in to kiss him before she got up to get the dishes put away, leaving the men to chat if they chose. Bill watched her leave, unable to break his old habit of admiring her backside. Logan didn't miss the sentiment.

"So," Bill started "My brother Graham is gonna be needing' a hand in a few months. He's got a herd he's gotta have driven from winter pasture to summer pasture. He had one hand quit on him, and another got himself trampled. When I told him I was talkin' with K again, he said he'd rather her come out than to try and find a new cowboy. You ride at all, Logan?"

"I do alright." he replied, deciding on the spot to see where Bill was headed, and why they'd want his little woman taking over a position where the last person was trampled.

"I don't imagine you'd want your little wife out on the range with a bunch of hotheaded cowpokes without ya. I know I wouldn't trust those dirty fellas if she were mine."

"I trust her. Have ta hunt down any dumb bastard that thought he could screw with her though." Logan said casually, though Bill was keen enough to catch the threat in his tone. Bill nodded.

"Good man. I already told Graham that she wouldn't be goin' without ya. He didn't mind one bit, said as long as you can stay in the saddle, you'd be good enough to keep up." Bill told him, clearly, he was trying to get on Logan's good side. Logan nodded.

"She work for this guy before?"

"Oh ya. She broke his best horses for him a while back, they're still the best stock he's got. Next trip out she helped with the drive and pissed off every cowboy for 3 counties when she got insulted and signed up for the rodeo." Bill explained, a laugh on his face. "Took the buckle and the prize money for bull riding just because they said she was too little to compete." Logan had to chuckle. Yeah, sounded like something she'd do. "So, what ya say? Can I tell my brother he's got his help?" Bill asked. Logan shrugged.

"Her call, but it's not real easy for us to plan too far out." He replied. Bill looked surprised, thinking it was about the little one or whatever line of work Logan was in. He didn't know what it was that Logan did, and he hadn't worked up the nerve to ask. About that time K came back in with a six pack, setting it in the middle of the coffee table and again trying to sit next to Logan, this time with beer as a bribe.

"Whatcha boys talkin' about now?" she asked as she started on her beer.

"Logan said you two might help out Graham in the spring." Bill said, a smile on his face. K looked to her husband appraisingly for a second.

"Really?" she asked. "Did he tell you our schedule is horrible?" Bill nodded.

"Said somethin' to that effect." he replied as Logan took a draw on his brew. K watched Bill a moment as she thought it over.

"What else, Bill. You're leaving something out." She said, surprising Logan that she'd call him on it. The man was acting differently, even Logan could see it. Bill grinned in spite of himself and started to fidget.

"Well, I didn't say before, but I found myself a woman. We're getting hitched after the drive – she's been a cook for Graham for a couple years, and we just hit it off when I visited him." Bill confessed, a blush rising up on his ears. K's mouth dropped.

"Bill, you old dog." she chastised. "You mean to tell me you had a lady friend all this time and never bothered to mention her? Why? What's she like?" she asked, smiling.

"Well, no. It's not like that. She's worked for him for a while, but I didn't meet her until this fall. She's real sweet, but she hasn't got many friends. Anyhow. I was hopin' you'd witness the papers." he finished, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. K smiled as she and Logan gave each other a sidelong glance. Logan gave her a slight nod and she kissed him before reaching over the coffee table to offer Bill a beer.

"We'll be there. Can't wait to meet her." K said, Bill beaming as he took the beer.

…...

The rest of their trip was as they'd hope it would be – Logan making up for lost time in the bedroom with K damn near every time that Abbey was asleep. The next time they saw Bill, he damn near interrupted them. He'd just finished taking her on the stairs, and she'd bit him hard on the shoulder trying to keep the volume down, drawing blood when there was a quiet knock on the door. He untangled himself from her and she hastily straightened out her skirt – the reason for his inability to make it to a bed, he claimed, answering the door looking entirely disheveled and his hair out of place. At first Bill was embarrassed, knowing what he'd nearly walked in on, then alarmed for Logan when he spotted the blood on him. He'd felt the bite, hell, that's what finished him off, but he forgot about the blood seeing as he was busy trying to tuck himself in before he got to the door.

"Oh, man – I'll call next time -Jeez, you're bleeding! What happened?" Bill said, Logan didn't even look at the 'wound' in question.

"I'm fine. Whatcha need Bill – Abbey'll be wakin up soon." He half growled out. He was being as friendly as he could be, but the gravelly growl conjured up echoes of the wild things running the woods in Bill's mind.

"Was gonna invite you guys ta dinner, seein as it's your last couple days here." He said sheepishly. Logan looked over his shoulder at his wife, now making her appearance, looking almost perfect. She'd taken a minute to straighten up her hair before appearing, only her shirt looking a little off track.

"I got some bear yet from last fall." He offered as he spotted K. Her eyes widened a little.

"You didn't save the tenderloin, did you?" she asked as Logan slipped his hand across her back. He nodded.

"Seemed a shame to grind it up when I knew _someone_ would want it whole."

"Well, damn. Bring it over. We'll toast you and your lady … what's her name, by the way?" K asked.

"Clara. Old fashioned name, but she's special." he replied, grinning. Suddenly, Abbey's squealing scream pierced the quiet, K jumping and rushing off to get her. After a little hushing K brought her out on her hip, the little one leaning on her with her hand shoved into K's shirt, her little baby curls framing her pale little face.

"Wow." Bill said, finally seeing the little girl for the first time up close. "Yeah, Logan's right. She looks just like you – 'cept, she has her Daddy's eyes of course. Lucky kid. I'd feel sorry for her if she looked like him." He suddenly looked alarmed, the jibe slipping from his lips before he realized he was saying it. Before he could apologize though, Logan barked out an unexpected laugh.

"Took the words outta my mouth, Bill." Logan grinned, Abbey reaching for her father. "How's seven sound, to you?" Bill was shocked. He didn't expect the serious little canuck to take a joke so well. He nodded and waved to them, his eyes sparkling as he tried to make friendly with Abbey, who buried her face in Logan's chest before he headed out.

The dinner was friendly, amicable. Abbey stayed on Logan's lap, clutching to him, acting shy while the adults joked and chatted, finally falling asleep after she had her fill. Logan put her to bed and the trio quietly finished visiting before parting company, Bill making sure to give Logan the dates and location of his upcoming nuptials. When they returned to the institute, K made a beeline for Charles' office.

"How do you feel about field trips?" she asked, skipping over the friendly greetings.

"They're necessary. Keeps the students from being too bored. What do you have in mind?" he asked.

"A friend of mine is getting married -"

"Bill"

"Yes. And it's out west, it will be after a horse drive. I'd like to take a few of the best riders and let them see what it's like to be a cowboy."

"I'll put up a sign up sheet."

"No. That won't work. Only the best riders can go. I won't lie, a horse drive can be dangerous. I'll offer it to who I know can do it."

"How many?"

"Maybe half a dozen." He thought it through. Considering all the angles, finally nodding his head.

"If, and only if, you can find a safer avenue for the rest of your advanced riders that may want to take the opportunity." He replied, watching the wheels turn in K's head.

"If we leave a week earlier, there will be a cattle drive too." K said, Charles practically watching the gears turn in her head. "That would be safe for even beginners, but we'd need more teachers to chaperone." Charles smiled.

"Post your sign up sheet for the cattle drive, and we'll determine who else will be going. If you have a large response, you may well shut the school down on me." he laughed.

A week later, a respectable even dozen had signed up for the cattle drive. Kitty and Bobby were chosen to join them and K called up Graham, Bill's brother to make the final arrangements. Graham was tickled. He had plenty of horses to use, and not enough hands to use them. All but one of the students K asked to do the horse drive agreed, the last one nervous when she heard what it would encompass.

Jean decided to tag along to keep watch over Abbey while K and Logan were 'working'. It was decided that all the students that went on the trip would be excused from end of year tests for K's class. This trip would effectively act as their final, two months early provided they continued going to class on their return.

Their arrival at the ranch was with a great deal of welcome. Graham looked like a taller, broader version of Bill. He sauntered over to them with open arms, dwarfing K while he picked her up bodily in a bear hug, then offering Logan a handshake as he led them to their bunkhouse for the students and cabins for the adults.

"What's with this family?" Bobby asked. "They're all freaking' huge." The group as a whole settled themselves in, K introducing the riders to the head cowboy, Liam, explaining that Liam was running the show and that they needed to follow his directions.

"Everyone stash your bags and get your boots on if you don't already. We're gonna set you up with your horse and tack. You are responsible for both until the drive is over. I want to see you all ride, sort, and try your hand at roping. Be in the pen in 15 minutes." he said, turning to K "Can you vouch for your adults?"

"Only this one." she said, nodding to Logan. "the other two can ride, but we haven't covered roping or sorting." Liam nodded and told them they'd need to show too.

It took a few hours, but everyone got adjusted and surprisingly a fair number of them weren't too bad with a rope. They'd start out the next day, the camp crew would set up at their first campsite and have supper ready when they drove the cattle in. Jean and Abbey would be with them, driving in a truck ahead of the cows.

The ride was long, hot and slow. The cows took their time as the students kept them gathered and pushed them to camp. There were no problems that first day other than boredom from time to time. When they pulled the saddles from the horses, most involved were a little saddle sore. Abbey attached herself to K when Jean came over with her, worn out herself from simply playing with the little one. She was trying to walk already, squealing as she held on to a grown up for balance, bouncing in place, her tiny eyebrow cocked up as if she knew she was going to stir up some trouble. She held tight to her mother now though, giving her sloppy baby kisses until Logan showed, quickly whining and leaning towards him until he took her, Abbey rubbing his stubble with her little hands, smiling.

It was at the first night's camp that they got to meet Bill's fiance. She had handed out food to nearly everyone there. Logan and K had hung back, making sure the students were all taken care of before heading to the tent, running into her on the way. She was slight, blonde and soft spoken. She nearly scrambled over backwards when she saw Logan though. He looked at her hard, comprehension finally dawning on his face.

"Clara?" he asked, amazement and shock clear on his face. "I thought you were dead." The two stood staring at each other a moment until Abbey finally slapped him in the face. Clara laughed in spite of her shock and fear.

"You're not still around my brother are you?" she asked quietly, looking around as if he'd materialize out of thin air, K seeing the scars on her face for the first time.

"No. He's gone. I'm sorry." he replied, the fear starting to lift from her.

"You can't be sure of that, Logan. You know how he is." she said, not convinced of the truth.

"I am this time." he replied "This is my wife. K, this is Clara Creed." K went numb as she looked at the woman. She could see the resemblance, Clara's eyes the same as Victor, her brows more feminine, but the shape was the same.

"Oh, no. You know my brother, Victor. I'm sorry. I have nothing to do with him. He's …"

"A monster." K finished, clearly spooked at seeing a living member of Sabretooth's family.

"Whatever he did to you, I'm sorry, but I swear, I haven't seen or spoken to him in over a century." Clara said, an attempt to prove her distance from him. K still looked spooked. Whatever evil Sabretooth had in him could easily be in her as well. She shook her head suddenly, her eyes tightly shut.

"Wait. You're Bill's Clara?" K asked. It was Clara's turn to look shocked.

"You know Bill?" she asked "Are you his friend that's supposed to witness?" she asked staring between K and Logan, K nodded. "Then you and I have a lot to talk about. Logan, will you excuse us a moment?" Logan gave K a kiss and waited for her to send him off, Abbey waving at her over her father's shoulder while the two women found a quiet spot to talk.


	17. Cowboy Work

"You have to understand, I am nothing like Victor." Clara said as the two women sat in a dark corner, well removed from the rest of the cattle drive. "He's always been … unhinged." she watched K's reactions for a few minutes hesitantly asking K how she knew Victor, looking horrified when K gave her an honest, stripped down version of their encounters, including his apparent demise. Clara stared at her.

"I can't say I'm sad to hear he's gone, even if he was my brother." Clara said finally, "I am sorry he hurt you. He hurt everyone around him. Especially the ones he loved the most. That's part of why he was so hard on Logan." K wrinkled her brow.

"So you think he treated Logan the way he did … because he _loved him?_" K asked, disgust on her face. "You're out of your goddamned mind." Clara shook her head.

"No, Logan didn't do what Victor wanted, so he punished him." Clara told her, as if it made perfect sense. "But if you're right, he's not a problem anymore." K didn't know how to respond to her.

"Your daughter is beautiful." Clara said. "She has Logan's eyes." K nodded.

"How do you know him?" K asked, half afraid of the answer, and shocked with the older woman's response. Her opinion of Clara went up dramatically when she heard all of her story of how she and her now dead brother Saul had a hand in exploiting Logan, and eventually helped him to rejoin the civilized world, including how she and Logan had a falling out after Saul died. As Clara talked, K found herself watching him across the way, gently rocking Abbey as she snuggled into him, kissing her head as he cradled her. She realized how hard life had been for him for most of his long existence and an incredible urge came over her to go to him and show him all he meant to her.

"Clara, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions about you. I just have a hard time believing that you and Creed are related. You're just too different." K said, watching her reaction.

"We weren't as different as you'd think. He had a good side too, once. You might have even liked him had you met him then, but you couldn't have even been born yet. I was very small when he was good." Clara told her. K didn't know when it all had happened, but she also didn't see a need to correct her. The less Clara knew about K, the better. Time to change the subject, K thought. The look Clara had on her face was one of sadness and regret.

"So. Tell me about Bill. You're getting married. What do you need from me?" K asked, straightening up and pulling her flannel around herself a little tighter.

"Really we just need a second witness. I don't know many people. They avoid me – my looks scare most people off, I suppose." she said sadly, looking at her hands. "Graham said the preacher wouldn't let us sign the paperwork without the witnesses being a man and woman. So I guess, I'm asking you to stand up for me." Clara finished, a little blush rising on her cheeks, making her look almost girlish.

"Is that alright with you, Clara?" K asked. "I'd be happy to do it, but only if you're sure." Clara smiled warmly, her hair sliding over her shoulder and covering the scarred up part of her face. If it wasn't for the scars and the bad eye, she'd be a stunning woman.

"All I ever wanted from Logan was to help him, make him whole, happy. He was so beaten down when I knew him, but that was a lifetime ago. You've helped him do whatever he couldn't do for himself. Saul and I probably weren't the best influence on him, but we were the ones that took a chance with him." Clara said. "Besides, I really have fallen for Bill. He's a good man." K smiled as she agreed with her, the pair swapping stories now about Bill.

Logan peeked over, seeing the two women smiling together he decided it should be safe to approach. He asked Kitty to stay by Abbey and made his way towards the laughing pair.

"You girls square?" he asked, leaning down to kiss his wife. Clara beamed at him.

"Yes, we are. You've come a long way, Logan." Clara said, pleased with his choice in a mate. "I hope we can be friends now."

The cattle drive went on much the same for the next 4 days. When the cattle got to their new grazing land, the cowboys took two days to let the horses recover and Clara restock for the next drive.

"This drive makes me so nervous." she confided in Jean and Kitty, who had decided to help her prepare, neither of them taking part in the drive. "The way they run ... the ground shakes when the herd gets near. It's scary." They'd packed up all that would be needed, Clara sitting on the open tailgate of the pick up next to Kitty, Jean leaning on it as the three of them watched Logan's little family play together in the tall grass, Abbey's squealing laughter echoing across to them. The baby suddenly looking tired, still giggling as she rubbed her eyes. Logan scooped her up, kissing her as she snuggled into his arms, her hand on Logan's nose and K leaning over his shoulder smiling at the little girl as she fell asleep. K turned her head when Logan looked at her, waiting for her to kiss him. It was a beautiful moment, broken when Logan stood to take Abbey to lay her down near Jean, the three women at the truck smiling at him as he gently set the infant down, covering her with a blanket in her little portable. Jean told him to go.

"That's what I came here for. Practice, remember?" she said, Logan's eyebrow popping up.

"Izzat so, Red?" he asked, Jean shrugging and blushing a little, looking at the grass she was kicking as he turned to head back to find K.

"They're not both doing the drive are they?" Clara asked, a bit alarmed and looking more pale than usual.

"Yeah, that's the plan, why?" Jean asked, Clara shaking her head and voicing her concerns for K's safety to Graham as he happened to walk past them.

"Oh, Clara. She'll be fine. She's done this a few times before. She's one of the best hands we've ever had, she knows what she's doin'. If you wanna worry, worry about that husband of hers. This will be fine." he reassured her, though he made a point to sit down with K that night before she turned in. K promised that the students involved would stay to the back of the herd with Bobby. They started early, K bringing Abbey to Jean and Kitty, kissing her several times before and after handing her off, still sleeping to the nervous redhead.

"I'll see you gals tonight." K said, tucking a blanket around the little one. "I'll be the one covered in dirt." Clara giggled, knowing that the cowboys from this ride were going to be both tired and sore tonight in addition to hopelessly filthy. Camp packed up quickly this time, the pace much faster even as the herd hadn't moved out. People were still mounting up, many of the help showing their nerves as they adjusted their gear and double and triple checked their saddles. K took a minute to talk to the students.

"This is _nothing_ like a cattle drive, so be ready to ride hard. There are enough able hands that you literally do not need to do anything but stay on, and stay to the back of the herd. Do NOT get in the middle of the herd. Do NOT get anywhere near the lead horse. If I see any one of you anywhere near me, you will not only fail my class, but I will kick your ass as soon as you have feeling in it again. Does everyone understand?" she asked, her instructions for the first time, truly sounding deadly serious. "One more thing – and it's important. Whatever you do, whatever happens – DON'T FALL. Got it?" she said, waiting for a nod with eye contact from every one of the five students in front of her and Bobby, who looked pale suddenly before giving them the signal to mount up. Logan was holding her horse, all the horses looking dead calm as the cowboys eased their mounts into position, waiting for K to give the signal. The men at the gate opened them, the first few horses ambling out when suddenly they all started to kick up their heels, running like hell. K and Logan made way to the front of the herd, trying to steer them the way they needed to be going, the herd mentality taking over and following any lead they got. All day they ran, thundering hooves and dirt flying. No one fell, no one stumbled. They almost missed the gate to the over night holding corral halfway to the final destination, but Logan and one of the other hands managed to push them the right way, K and a second hand keeping them from going too far the other way. When they got the gate closed behind the herd, K turned, out of breath to count their students, all of them worn out, and dirtier than any of them remember being. Her count matched what they left with. She looked at Logan, just as worn and dirty and saw him recounting them and nodding. They walked their horses to a different corral and took the saddles down, hanging them upside down to dry out, the horses all shaking as they stood, sweat dripping off them, too tired to do much more than eat. The students and the ranch hands were shaky legged as they waddled to the mess tent, bowlegged from the long hard ride. Logan had to smile at K as she tried to pull her jeans from her thighs as he just rubbed his.

"You want some help there, darlin'?" he teased, K laughing breathlessly.

"Like you have the energy." she smiled, leaning in to kiss what little breath he had from him.

"Gimmie a minute and I'll ask again." he growled before slipping his arm around her waist, the two of them supporting each other as they made their way to grab a bite before one of them fell down. Clara came to see them, bringing hot food with her, and a gallon of water, knowing they'd be in need.

"Jean and Kitty took Abbey to the cabin at the ranch. She was tired and I told them you two wouldn't be much for parenting tonight. I hope that's alright." Clara told them, K nodding as Logan tipped back the water. Bobby came and sat with them too, eyes wide.

"You didn't say the ride was that intense. One of the kids wants to skip tomorrow." Bobby told her, K smiling as she took the water from Logan, not answering until she'd drank as much as she could without choking.

"They don't have to ride tomorrow if they don't want to or can't, but they will have to ride the test at the end of the year if they don't finish the drive." K said, Logan groaning.

"You're a mean woman, you know that?" Logan said, shaking his head. K smirked.

"Yeah, but you like it." she teased, Clara smiling at the two of them as they teased back and forth. K made the rounds after shoving a little food in her mouth, going to talk to the students, informing them of the deal.

"Oh my god! You're kidding, right?" Zoe moaned. "I can't feel my ass! I'm never going to be able to breathe right again, and the dirt! Oh GOD. It'll never come out!" she was nearly in tears.

"Did you really think I'd let you get out of a test for a simple little ride? NO. You gotta work for it, and this is pass fail. If today was tough, tomorrow will be worse. You can back out, but you will have to ride the final test like everyone that didn't come." K told them as they laid stone still on their cots.

"But what about the cattle drive kids? They get a pass just for that?" Emmett asked disgust in his voice.

"No. That was extra credit, which you all earned already. The deal to skip the final was a special deal for you five. There is no shame in backing out if you're too worn." K said, her hands on her very dirty hips. "Think about it overnight and tell me in the morning. Breakfast will be light. Don't want to ride that hard on an full stomach, right Chloe?" K directed to her little friend who at the moment was on her side, still looking as if she wanted to throw up.

"How do people do this?" Chloe asked. "I feel like I've done a zillion crunches." K turned to leave, stumbling a little herself as she navigated the uneven ground, the teenagers now bitching in earnest. She met Clara at the water truck, K stripped off her clothes and boots, opened the tap and stuck her head under it, scrubbing the worst of the dirt off her face and arms, Clara handling the tap for her as she washed quickly in the cold water. She wrapped the towel she'd brought around herself and made her way to Logan who had already cleaned up a bit himself. He'd set up a couple of bedrolls together under the stars and was waiting for her, his face lighting up when she showed up in a towel that she just dropped before slipping in with him.

The next morning, two students chose not to continue, joining Clara in the truck as she loaded up to head back to the ranch. There would be no camp tonight, just back to base. Everyone but K and Logan looked worn out the next morning as they started out again, problems arising quickly as they got on the trail. A few hours into the ride, K ended up falling back to check on the students, one of them in a panic because she'd lost a rein when it got away from her and the horse stepped on it. K leaned far forward as they ran, removing one from her horse and attaching it for the student, using a bale string off her saddle for her own horse. The same thing happened just beyond the halfway point to one of the cowboys, who K again, helped him with his repair before using a second string for a rein on her mare. When they finally made it into the last corral, K and Logan circled back to count students. They were there, but Chloe was hurting so badly, she couldn't get off her horse and Jubilee was bitching now, telling everyone that they'd have to be crazy to trust one of K's field trips ever again, declaring them worse than Logan's survival trip three years ago in the Savage land where all the plants she could find were poisonous. There were hands waiting at the ranch to take the horses and gear from the riders, everyone worn terribly. When the students were all seated at the dinner table, the only rule on the ranch tonight being clean faces and hands, K congratulated them on a 'damn good drive' before unceremoniously telling them to dig in. She took her seat along the wall away from the table, sitting on the floor, watching the weary students eat as though they'd never seen real food before. Jean came over with a restless Abbey, nearly tearing herself from Jean's arms when she spotted her mother filthy on the floor. She snuggled into her, ignoring the sweat and dirt, giving her baby kisses, sloppy and wet on the mouth and mumbling mamamama, not even stopping when Logan sat next to her, patting her mother's neck with her tiny hands as K kissed the side of her face. She was happy to be with her until she suddenly realized Dad was there too, squirming her way to him, hugging him tightly, humming as she leaned on him, not relaxing enough to sleep until Logan put his free arm around K, pulling her close, K leaning her head on his shoulder with an arm draped across his waist. Abbey slipped down a bit so she had her head next to her mother, and her hand in her shirt as Logan held both of them close, leaning his cheek on K's head, the three of them nearly drifting off on the spot.

…...

Everyone on the drive slept in the next morning, except for K. Abbey woke up at her normal time, happy and laughing. K did all Abbey required, and was entertaining her as she poked K's face, giggling when her mother acted like she was biting her. Logan woke not long after, picking up the little girl and taking over for K when there was a knock at the door. Clara was looking for company for a trip to town. She needed to pick up a few things for herself to be ready for the wedding the next day, and she pointed out to K that she needed a dress.

"Oh, wait – I don't need a dress. Jeans are fine, really." K said, Clara shaking her head with her arms crossed.

"Call me old fashioned, but you're wearing a dress. That's final." Clara told her, Logan acting as if he hadn't heard a word. K tried to argue with her but in the end, she kissed the baby and Logan to leave with Clara, returning two hours later with a garment bag and a box containing a pair of high heels.

"Not a word, love." K said as she hung up the bag. Logan smiled, knowing that even if she hated it now, she'd appreciate it when he found a place to pin her against the wall later.

…...

K slept fitfully that night. It was the first dreams she'd had since they'd arrived in Colorado. Flashbacks of Creed. Nothing but flashes of him, all jumbled up. Just a few things really stood out to her in the nightmare – the expression on his face when he first met her trying to pick her up at the bar, when he pressed himself against her after chasing her down in the woods – the taste of dirt, the sound in his voice when he purred his approval while she screamed from his abuse. Most of all though, she was hit with a stabbing, all encompassing panic while she remembered some of his unfulfilled promises, the helplessness of his sheer size advantage floating over her head like a dark cloud. Her fitful sleep had woken Logan, who was truly just waiting for her to wake up. When she did, she sat bolt upright in bed, looking madly around the room until her eyes landed on Abbey's sleeping form. Logan reached out to her, K nearly jumping out of bed when his hand touched her arm.

"Just me, darlin'. It's alright, come here now." he said quietly watching her quick breaths as her hands shook. He reached for her again, this time when he touched her, she broke down crying. She didn't fight him as he pulled her to him, shushing her, trying to soothe her. "He's gone, K." Logan said quietly, taking a stab at what was bothering her. After all, she did spend a few hours with Creed's little sister, who Logan had to admit had the same eyes and coloring as her brother did at the very least. If you stretched the comparisons a bit, she had a similar, more feminine version of his bone structure and nose, and their scents held a familial note to them. It would be understandably unnerving to be close to her for too long for someone with the severe trauma K had endured at his hands. She cried herself out, unable to stop once she'd started, Logan holding her, stroking her hair and giving her light kisses and reassurances while she tried to wrap herself in his scent, finally relaxing and pulling herself together, falling asleep as he held her.

…...

When morning broke, K was still in his arms. Logan had wrapped himself around her, finding a way to hold her tightly even as he slept. When she wiggled a little she woke him. One eye popped open, looking at her a moment before he lifted his head and started to stretch.

"You alright?" he asked as she stretched in his arms, her body tight against him as she arched her back and legs, toes pointed. She nodded her head as she leaned across him.

"Nightmare is all it was. Hopefully I won't get another one anytime soon." she replied, stretching forward and kissing his chin. "Thank you." she whispered, kissing the line of his jaw up to his ear. "You're wonderful." she purred out as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, Logan leaning his head to the side to give her room to do what she wanted to his neck as she kissed her way down to his chest. In a flash, he'd reversed their positions, she was on her back now, her legs over his hips as he frantically tore off anything in his way as he kissed her, the urge to make love to her right NOW suddenly overwhelming.

…...

The students and teachers of the Xavier Institute were relaxing. Few of them had any energy, and those that had done both drives were completely exhausted. They found no sympathy from their teacher and colleague.

"I don't give a damn one way or the other how flamin' tired you are. Get yourselves together, tonight's the last night here, and you will ALL be attending." he growled out after Bobby had complained about having to go to the rodeo celebration that would double as a party for the newlyweds. Logan let out a string of obscenities under his breath as he left the group, his displeasure melting the moment he saw K standing under the big tree next to the bunkhouse, Abbey on her hip, both smiling at him. K had to leave with Kitty and Clara, Kitty had agreed to be a part of the tiny wedding party, just so she could keep an eye on K for Logan and now they had to go get ready. He pulled his wife and daughter close to him, wrapping his arms around the both of them before kissing them and taking Abbey from K. The uneasy feeling he had not long after Abbey was born began to creep up again as he watched his wife and Kitty meet up with Clara near the main lodge. He didn't think there was anything to it, but it didn't matter. It would bug him until it resolved itself. He made his way with the little one to the cabin he and K were staying at, running into Jean, who invited he and Abbey to lunch with her and Bobby while they waited for K and Kitty to return, Logan accepting, but also uncharacteristically voicing his growing concerns with her.

"So, do you think he's still alive?" Jean asked, her eyes scrunched up. It sounded like a totally irrational fear. He shook his head very slowly, almost reluctantly as he grimaced.

"I want to say no, but it's hard to believe. He's been such a thorn in my side for so long – I just don't know. Hell, damn near everyone on the team has been dead at one point or another. I have. Scott has. Hell, Jeannie, how many times have you kicked it?" He asked, Jean having to concede that he had a point.

"That was different though, Logan. I had the Phoenix protecting me. His head was vaporized." she argued.

"Yeah, but what about the rest of him? Not to sound grim, but I never heard what SHIELD did with the body." He replied, distrust clear on his face. She realized there may be something to his concerns.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll keep an eye out, scan the area, look for his mental signature." she replied, her brow lined. He shrugged.

"Wouldn't hurt anyhow, but I don't know if it'd help. Would it be the same?" he asked Jean nodding.

"If it was him, it would be the same. I'll just scan for negative thoughts, someone intending harm on you or K."

"Or Abbey." he pointed out.

"Or Abbey." she agreed, the girl in question currently sleeping on her father. He seemed reluctant to put her down right now, instead letting her sleep on him while he worried.


	18. Consequences

The wedding was in an hour and the little bridal party was finishing up. Clara was putting flowers in her hair with Kitty's help. K was pulling hers up into a Scandinavian style milkmaid braid. Clara smiled at her as she did it.

"I haven't seen anyone wear that style in decades." Clara said, a faraway look on her face.

"I can do something else." K said, Clara shaking her head immediately.

"No, I like it." She turned to Kitty "Can you do it too?" Kitty shrugged.

"If K can help me, I think it's long enough." She replied. They finished a little early and the three made their way to the little white church where the ceremony was to be held, the light beginning to fade out in earnest as the sun set. The groom, Graham, Liam and the preacher were at the front of the church waiting for the women to arrive. K walked with Clara down the aisle, past the little group of ranch hands on the grooms' side and to Clara's surprise, Logan, Abbey, Jean and the students making up the bride's side. The ceremony went quickly, and most filed out, except for everyone that had to sign the papers and Logan, who was anxious to get K to himself again, Clara taking a minute to lean in close and whisper to K that she'd like to talk to her after her honeymoon. K nodded and the two smiled at each other in an almost gentle, sisterly way.

"Be careful, OK?" Clara said, squeezing her hand as K nodded.

"You too. Congratulations." she replied as Logan and Bill shook hands, Logan smoothly slipping his arms around K as they parted company, the ranch hands, students and staff already at the party the rodeo crew was throwing, having a hell of a time from the sounds of it.

"You mind if I get changed first?" K asked her husband as they walked out of the church. He shook his head, kissing the side of her face. He walked with her to the cabin, K looking at him as if he'd lost it when he followed her, a smile on his face as he reached up to finger the braid on her head.

"I know, it's old fashioned. Shut up." she snarked as she balanced herself with her hand on his shoulder, ready to remove her heels. He shook his head.

"No, I like it." he growled, already thinking of what he'd like to do to her. She sighed suddenly, looking half worn out as her hands fell to her side.

"You really don't give a damn what I look like at all do you?" she asked. He shook his head a little with a half shrug.

"That's not really it, darlin'. It's that you're mine." He replied, nipping at her, an animalistic gleam in his eye. K smiled at him leaning in for a quick kiss when something in him snapped as her delicate hand rested on his chest. In a heartbeat, she found herself pinned against the wall, her dress jacked up around her waist and her leg over his hip as he pulled at her other knee, kissing her all the while. It was quick and dirty. And rough. She was stunned. He hadn't ever really done this before. Not like this. Not this rough and without warning. His need and desire was plain to see, she just simply couldn't figure out where it came from. Shocked though she was, he was pushing all the right buttons – and it wasn't very long before she was participating as much as he'd let her. Her head was swimming as she found herself pulling him closer, Logan growling low at her, his teeth at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, just holding her there when she lost herself moaning out wordlessly, clutching to him as he bit down on her shoulder. When it was over, they're both panting and K is in a daze holding onto him for support, at a loss as to the how and why. Logan swallowed hard, then allowed her feet to touch the floor, one heel laying near the bed where she was standing before he took her by surprise. Shaky, she rearranged herself, straightening her clothes before giving up on the dress altogether … it was a lost cause anyhow. Logan stared at the floor, unwilling to meet K's eyes. She slipped her remaining heel off, then walked over to him, gently laying her hand on his chest again as she leans in for a kiss, not letting him out of it until he rests his hands on her hips, kissing her passionately.

"I don't know why -" he starts to say before K cut him off.

"Don't apologize – you just took me by surprise, that's all. A little warning next time. This was not the best time for that." K said, looking at him meaningfully.

"Yeah, I know. Messed up your hair, damn near tore your dress off too." he said, his mouth pulling down at the corners as she shimmied out of the flowered dress. She shook her head, eyes closed while she unpinned and undid her braids. She needed to clarify.

"No. Well, yeah. That too. I mean your timing is very bad. Like you are in huge trouble, mister if you just got me pregnant bad." She told him, her eyes serious. "I'm really not ready for number two just yet." She finished her thought with a sigh.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, I just -" she covered his mouth with her hand, looking him in the eyes.

"Don't apologize. You were fantastic, just don't get all Canadian on me now with the apologies. It's done. I'll see if Hank has any morning afters or something I can take when we get back tomorrow, otherwise, we just have to wait and see." she told him. He was clearly unhappy with himself, the scowl returning in force. "It'll be fine, Logan. One way or another, it will be fine." She kissed him again with a little smile, then pulled on a pair of low slung bluejeans that made him growl.

"You lookin' for a repeat performance, wearin' jeans like that?" he asked, only half joking. She smiled as she pulled on a white tanktop.

"That's more like it. Come on, stud. Our little girl is probably getting tired of Jean and Kitty. She bit Bobby today too." She teased, pulling a blue jean shirt over her tank before they made their way to the party, his arm around her waist.

…...

The flight back to Westchester was uneventful. Every student on board had enjoyed themselves at the party. Those that had done the horse drive were still tired, sleeping on the way back. K and Abbey found a quiet spot removed from the rest of the group while Logan and Jean piloted. When they landed, the students quietly disembarked as Logan found his girls curled up asleep. Jean offered to carry Abbey, who did not stir as she picked her up while Logan gingerly lifted K, who drowsily looked around before simply leaning into him as he carried her bridal style behind Jean to the boathouse. She woke up more fully when he laid her on the bed, insisting on going to see Hank.

"Just relax, sweetheart. I'll go take care of it." he told her. "My mistake, let me handle it." She nodded sleepily and snuggled up, Abbey in her arms as Logan made his way to the lab. Hank was happy to help, though he was sure to warn Logan about the meds.

"I don't know that this will even work for her, Logan. You two burn off everything so quickly – she can try, of course, but don't be surprised if this isn't the answer." He told him, handing him a couple of pills.

"Make sure you have her come up tomorrow, I'll run some blood tests to see if the medication stays in her system." Logan nodded, thanked him and headed back.

The next day, K was in Hank's lab early before any classes were set to start.

"I'll let you know later today if the levels in your system are sufficient. Try to be more careful, K." he told her, K nodding as she headed up for coffee, a little irritated with the furry doctor's placement of blame. If he only knew how it actually had gone down.

She had to laugh at the kids from the drive, still obviously saddle sore, and most leaning against the wall rather than sitting in the hard chairs. She took Abbey from Logan and the two spent their day together as usual, the only difference being Hank coming to see them around lunchtime, bringing the results of the blood test with him and looking grim.

"You're just burning through the medications too quickly." he told her, a grim look on his face. "But I will aspire to solve this little conundrum for you. There has to be some way that you can live as any other modern woman." He looked determined.

"I appreciate that, Henry. Really I do. Why don't you join us for lunch?" She asked, offering him a chair, which he turned down.

"No, I'm afraid I have too much to do. However, make sure to come and see me in a couple weeks so we can do another blood test." He replied.

"You think you'll have some meds for me by then?" she asked.

"No. This will be to run a pregnancy test." he said, waving goodbye to the little one playing on the floor. She nodded then just stared at the door for a few minutes, wondering to herself what to do next. Logan came in not long after his class ended while K was pulling on her dusty boots.

"Where ya headed, sweetheart?" he said, walking over for a kiss.

"Class, of course." she replied, pulling the jeans back down over the top of the boots.

"Didn't think you'd have class today." he said, looking at her strangely.

"Why not? No one else cancelled class." she replied, reaching for an over shirt.

"Yeah, but the better part of your class can't sit down. You gonna make 'em ride like that?"

She just stared at him in response, as if he was crazy, nodding her head and grabbing her hat.

"The other half is fine. Part of the challenge of this trip was they had to finish out the classes for the rest of the year. Time for them to cowboy up – or something. We're doing mostly dressage today." She finally replied, Logan smirking at her as he pulled her into a kiss.

"You are mean. They're gonna think I put you up to it." he said, nibbling on her neck as she tried to pry his hands off her.

"Hey." she said, managing a little distance, though he didn't let her go. "The kids I asked were the ones that are always pushing the horses to run. I thought this might get them to take it easy. And another thing, mister. Hank said the pills won't work on me, so you better cool it before I get mean to you." She warned. Logan grinned in response.

"Whatcha gonna do when you get mean to me?" he asked, pulling her close and knocking her hat off. She put her hands on his chest, trying to regain her space and failing miserably.

"I don't know yet, but it will be extra mean – have to adjust for your healing, so it would have to be memorable." she said, nipping at his nose. "So watch it." He grinned and kissed her again before picking up her hat for her and putting it on her head crooked.

…...

Three weeks later, K had forgotten about going to see Hank until she was in the kitchen with Kitty, the two of them reading over the letter that Clara had sent them from their honeymoon in Washington. Abbey was with Jean and Scott, who had wanted to take her to the zoo.

"Did you forget our standing appointment, or are my services not needed?" Hank asked as he poured himself a mug of coffee. K looked up, blank faced.

"What did I forget?" she asked, honestly having forgotten about the warning he'd given her. He looked to Kitty then back to her.

"Blood test." he replied, waiting for her to catch what he was meaning. Her eyes went wide. Oh. OH. She nodded, and simply followed him to the lab, Kitty staring after them as they went. She decided to wait for the results, just watching the test strip he'd used, waiting for any change. She got her answer quickly. When the timer went off, Hank looked over her shoulder, sighed and handed her a bottle of vitamins telling her to take care of herself this time. She didn't wait to hear anymore before she stood and left, leaving both the bottle of smelly vitamins and her half full coffee cup behind. She went right past Logan as he left his class, ignoring him as he called out to her. He followed her to the barn, grabbing her arm as they both cleared the door.

"What's wrong, darlin'? Why'd you ignore me?" he said, heat to his voice. As she turned, she raised her hand to slap him, stopping herself before she could follow through, clenching her hand as she pulled herself under control, Logan staring at her, angry that she was angry with him.

"Go on. Maybe if ya hit me, you'll feel better."

"What's that going to do? Nothing – you won't even get a goddamned bruise." she said, tears in her eyes.

"Then tell me what the hell's goin' on." he snarled.

"That fucking dress, apparently." she said, hoping that not saying it out loud would stop it from being true. He scrunched his eyebrows, confusion on his face.

"Dress …. what the hell are you – oh. THAT dress." he said, his face relaxing. "You're pregnant." he wasn't disappointed, but even as his expression softened at the news, it was clear to her that he wasn't outwardly as happy as he was the first time. She sighed, covering her face with her hand, her other arm hugging herself.

"For the record, it wasn't the dress." he said, trying to lighten her mood. "The dress was just convenient." Her hand fell from her face as she turned to him, outrage blooming as she ran at him, pummeling him across the chest, pushing him across the barn until he grabbed her hands.

"HEY. Take it easy, damnit." he growled out. "Nothin' we can do about it now. Might as well get used to the idea." His hard line with her quickly failed as she broke down crying, her knees giving way.

"Woah, it's not that bad is it?" he asked, trying to help her up, but she was limp, making him pick her up and slide her onto his lap while he sat on the floor of the barn, K clutching to him and crying on his shoulder. She was shaking her head no, but just couldn't stop herself. The idea of it was hard to swallow, and she wasn't truly even that mad, she just couldn't control herself.

"No, I just can't stop crying." she managed to squeak out. He felt terrible.

"Honey, I'm sorry -"

"Shut up." she growled out, her tone hard again. "I told you don't apologize. I'm just a headcase. Don't read too much into it." He didn't know how to handle her rapid mood swing. Was this normal? He didn't remember her doing this last time around. She picked herself up and managed to get a grip on herself. This wasn't going to be easy, but she'd find a way to make it work. He watched her cautiously until she looked at him expectantly.

"Well? Don't you have somewhere to be?" she asked, irritated. He came up to her slowly and put his hand on her hip, K standing a little straighter as he did so.

"Are you gonna be alright?" he asked, K finally starting to relax a little, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "Because, I will cancel a class if you need me."

"I guess I just needed to freak out a little bit." she stepped into him, sliding her arms around him as he did the same to her, pulling her tightly as he kissed her neck. "It'll be fine …. right?" she asked, shakily.

"Of course it will." he replied, kissing her again.

A week later, she jumped out of bed running for the bathroom, retching and heaving. Logan followed, pulling her hair back as she dry heaved for the next ten minutes, shaking. She repeated her illness every day for nearly a month when it suddenly became much, much worse.

"Why am I so goddamned sick?" she asked, staring at the water, and clenching her stomach, both cramping and vomiting. "I never got sick like this with Abbey." He shook his head. He was the last person she should be asking questions about this. She got up, and tried to have a little water, finding it coming right back up. Logan had gotten Abbey ready for the day while K tried to get things under control. It wasn't working. Both of them realized something was wrong.

"I'll go get Hank." Logan said, Abbey on his hip. K shook her head as another cramp hit her, knocking her breath away.

"NO. It's just a little morning sickness. It'll go away." she said, rinsing her mouth out with water. Logan was unconvinced. When she felt a little better, they made their way up to the mansion slowly, K favoring her side strongly. The smell of coffee was making her head spin.

"Oh, sweet baby Jesus, not my coffee." she mumbled under her breath, Logan looking up to her, watching her go pale, the smell of blood suddenly in the air.

"K ..." he said, handing off Abbey to Scott before grabbing a hold of his wife as she passed out, hitting the counter with her head before he could catch her.

"Fuck." Logan growled out, scooping her up and bringing her to the lab. When he laid her down, Hank came over to examine her, addressing her head first. Celia walked in, setting her purse down as she made her way to see K.

"What's going on here?" she asked as Hank worked on cleaning up her head.

"She's just dealing with some morning sickness this time around. She fainted and hit her head." Hank told her, looking unconcerned.

"Um. No." Celia said, pulling off K's boots quickly. "Did you miss the bleeding Hank?" Celia asked, pointing to K's jeans, clearly she was hemorraging. Logan rushed to help Celia strip her.

"I hadn't realized .. I hadn't gotten that far yet." Hank said as Logan pulled her jeans off, Celia pulling the curtain then quickly asking Logan to step out while she did did a quick exam. K woke up as Celia was pressing on her lower abdomen, crying out as she pressed on her right side. Celia sighed.

"Logan, get out. K, you have a rupture - I'm going to have to do a little surgery."

"What? No … no it'll heal on it's own." K said, trying to scoot away from Celia, Hank holding her shoulders when she bumped into him. When Celia wrapped her hand around K's ankle, K freaked out. Her claws came out and she kicked out, catching Logan squarely in the chest and just barely missing Celia's mouth. She was fighting purely out of fear. Hank tried to hold her, but found that wasn't as easy as it seemed, she squirelled out of his grasp and turned to face him, ready to nail him if she needed to, blood running down her legs when Logan pounced on her, pinning her to the ground. She struggled and screamed, fighting with all she had to throw him, begging him to let her go.

"Sweetheart, you gotta let them do this. Please don't fight." Logan said quietly, trying to get her to stop, and honestly trying to hold her, using all his weight and strength against her. Bruises were clearly visible at her wrists where he held her, and she was still struggling, almost unseating him when Hank came close with a syringe full of sedatives. Suddenly she was begging them to let her go, tears rolling down her face and eyes wide as Hank delivered the dose, calmly telling her he meant her no harm. She refused to look at Logan as he tried to draw her focus, still struggling against him while the sedatives took effect. She quieted slowly, finally locking eyes with him mouthing out 'please' as the tension melted from her body and her claws retracted as she lost consciousness. As soon as she was still, Hank and Celia jumped in, throwing a shell shocked Logan out so they could attend to her. Feeling wholly responsible, he turned in time to see Celia finishing up strapping her down tightly and Hank prepping her for surgery, a tray full of disturbing looking surgical instruments at his side. Celia looked up to see him standing there before rushing over and whipping the curtains shut around the surgical theater.


	19. Moving Forward Again

K woke up in a fog, finding herself in her bed, Logan by her side and Abby in her crib. Her head felt like it was floating, and her eyes were rolling in her skull. As she wiggled, she realized Logan's hand was across her stomach. She leaned forward just enough to see his hand, covering it with her own. He was watching her reactions carefully. She laid her head back down and let out a big breath. What the hell happened? She was hurting so badly earlier, and now, she just kind of felt … floaty. She turned her head towards Logan, finding him awake, she smiled maybe a little too widely and in her dopey haze tried to rest her hand on his face, only she ended up slapping him and giggling.

"Oops." she said, her entire arm feeling somewhat detached as she laid it back down.

"Hank has you drugged, darlin'. Are you alright?" he asked, he hadn't realized how out of it she was going to be.

"Oh yeah. I'm just peachy." she grinned, and she looked it – stoned out of her mind.

"Do you know what happened yesterday?" he asked, trying to gauge where she was mentally.

"Oh, sure. We went for coffee and I …" she said lightly, choking up as tears flowed freely. "You helped them." she said sadly. Clearly she was still doped up. "I'm so sorry." she whispered. He pulled her into a kiss, K snuggling into his chest, drinking in his scent while he hushed her, Hank's wonder drug continued to keep her out of it. Logan felt awful. As far as he was concerned, it was all his fault. If he would have controlled himself, if he would have gotten her to the docs faster, if if if. He couldn't let it happen again.

…...

A few days later, the finals for the year started up. Logan's schedule was fairly busy, and K's was wide open. She had no inspiration on her obstacle course. She simply couldn't think of anything she thought appropriate to do for them, so instead, she made a few phone calls, and started setting up rodeo panels. Scott came down to help when she mentioned she could use a hand, looking warily at what she was up to.

"What are you having them do? Where are all the obstacles?" he asked as she gestured towards a panel to pick up.

"Couldn't think of anything to do, so we're going to try something different." she said, unbothered by his shock.

"But the kids look forward to an obstacle course. It's fun." he said, disappointment clear on his face. She sighed, her hand on her hip and she balanced the panel, looking at the ground.

"You got any bright ideas? Be my guest. I can't fucking think of anything that sounds fun or interesting, I just can't even think." She was frustrated, and her fuse was unnaturally short. Scott was quiet a moment.

"K, I'm more than happy to help you pull this together. I'll work all night if that's what you need from me. Just, let's sit down and make a plan." he told her, as she looked ready to cry. He'd been waiting for this to happen. Even if she healed quickly, the surgery and losing the baby had to be a blow, forget about the trauma of having to be held down when she panicked. She'd refused to return to see Hank, completely unwilling to set foot in the lab again for anything, and disappearing when he made a point to slip up to the kitchen to try to passively observe her. It had gotten so bad that when a student in Logan's combat class got hurt while K was there, she flat refused to take them to the lab, offering instead to take over instruction until Logan returned. Hank was anxious to double check that her hormone levels had returned to normal, seeing as her behavior was so far off base. She dropped the panel and leaned against the fence.

"I think I'm going nuts, Scotty." she said, all the fight looking like it had drained out of her. He sat next to her and draped his arm across her shoulders, pulling her in to him.

"You're not going nuts. You've been hurt. Do I need to kick Logan's ass?" he asked, tipping his head down to try to get her to look at him. She barked out a little half laugh, a small smile creeping on her face. He grinned at her and gave her a bear hug. "You just need a break. Take off when the test is over. Take a month if you need it. Just don't forget you're one of us now." he told her, K finally returning the hug.

"Thanks, Scotty. Let me know when you want to kick Logan's ass – he doesn't really need it, but I'll bring popcorn." She teased, a tiny glimpse of herself kicking in as she joked with him. They sat down and hashed out a plan to finish the course, this year, it would be only half of the test. The other half was a speed and fun show divided by age. K asked the other teachers to pitch in for prizes for each of the classes, then picked out who would judge the obstacles. It took both of them a solid week to finish the course. The day of the test she had an inspired idea – the first thing she'd really done since her surgery that was anything like herself. She was practically bouncing as she explained the plan to Logan, who was grinning at her as she outlined it, her enthusiasm was contagious, and he hadn't seen her really smile in what seemed like far too long. Abbey was even clapping as her mother got animated. When she was through, she was waiting for his opinion when he slid his hand into her hair and simply kissed her.

"Anything you want, darlin'." he told her, as she bit her lip.

"Anything?" she asked, one eyebrow raised as her smile grew. He nodded, trying to keep the growl at bay that wanted to spring out at her saucy expression. She kissed him again then told him to be at the course 10 minutes early. He was going to be her special helper.

When he got to the course, he was a little surprised to see her other special helpers. She had 5 people in total, herself included for this 'special' assignment.

"OK. So, here's the deal, everyone gets a number … here – draw a number." she tells them, grinning as she held out her cowboy hat. Bobby and Kitty looked at each other before finally taking a number. K looked at everyone's numbers, writing down the results, telling them to put the numbers back in the hat. The students were waiting when they got to the start of the course. She told her helpers to have a seat.

"Alright kids – last test you have this year, and it's going to be a fun one. We have the obstacle course – it's numbered, so just follow numeric order. Last obstacle is being set up now – last minute change. Before you start the course, you must draw a number, one through five. This number will be who your partner for the course is." She turned to point to where Scott was setting up a half barrel flat part up. When your number is drawn, your partner will go stand on the barrel. We're doing a pick up race. Riders have to run down, turn the barrel – where your partner will jump on the back of the horse – THEN you both then race back to the starting line. Got it?" she said, her face glowing. She turned back to the students. "Alright, pay attention now. I'll run it so you can see how it works and that it CAN be done. OK? First up – draw a number. I got three." she turned around and grinned at Logan. "You're up, sweetheart." He shook his head and headed over to the barrel, taking a seat to wait for her to hit the second to last obstacle. She walked over and grabbed the first horse in the line, hopping on and nodding to Scott to start the clock. The students were howling as K ran the course, taking bets on what the story was on the last obstacle. When she got close, Logan was ready, she dropped her arm nearest him and he grabbed on, hopping on behind her and grabbing the mane in front of her as she kicked the horse on, Logan barely keeping a hold as she pushed the horse forward, skidding to a stop past the finish, Logan laughing as he purposely slipped off the back, landing on his feet and offering to help her off the horse, K laughing with him as she turned to the students.

"Any questions?" she asked, Logan holding her up as she laughed, breathless. Only Jubilee rose her hand.

"So Wolvie's number three? That means if we pull three we have to pull his heavy ass up?" She looked paled as K turned to her husband.

"Well, the odds are stacked against you. I got number 4, so you'll be haulin' metal on two of us. Kitty, Bobby and Jean round out the group. Good luck! Who's first?" She shouted out, the students ready to go, and lining up for their turn at the hat. The consensus was that no one wanted Logan, their reasoning being that he'd just be too damn heavy to pull, though when Chloe drew him, it was apparent that he was a top choice. He did most of the work of hopping on and didn't pull on the rider, reaching for the mane to hold himself on. K ended up being another top choice as she was just as good and simply having her on board got the horse to try harder. Honestly, they were all good. Kitty and Jean were light enough that if they pulled on the rider, it didn't matter. Bobby was by far the worst to pull. He was enough a weight that if he didn't sit perfectly square, it was a sloppy ride, and on more than one run, the horse ended up bucking. When it was through, the students were again requesting the teachers run the course, dying to see them do the pickup race, ending the race with Logan riding it himself. He didn't bother to draw, just telling K to get her ass on the barrel. He ran the race well, grinning as he rocketed towards K, who just barely made it on, one hand in mane, the other around his waist as he urged the horse to run. At the finish, the gelding he was riding tried so hard to stop he nearly sat down, skidding a good twenty feet beyond the finish, K laughing as she held on to him, his hand resting over the one around his waist. Scott was busy tallying up the scores while K called for a 20 minute break to give the horses a chance to get rested for the older kids speed races. At the end of the day, everyone had a good time, and Logan again helped K to pass out the awards for the obstacle course. The teachers that donated prizes for the rodeo got to hand out their donations as K announced, Abbey on her hip, helping by waving at the students as they passed her. When it was all done, Scott announced there would be a cookout at the pool as an end of year celebration. K quietly slipped away from the crowd with Abbey, Logan quickly catching up to her.

"You sneakin' out, darlin'?" he asked, opening the door for her. She smiled softly as she kissed their little girl, laying her down, the little one half asleep, worn out from all the fun going on around her. As she stood up, Logan slipped his hand across her back, resting it on her hip as he stood behind her, watching Abbey sigh as she slipped deeper asleep. She turned to face him, sliding her hand into his hair and leaning in for a kiss.

"I've had enough of the crowd today. It was fun, but I've got a limit." she said, pulling him to her. She looked at him shyly as she began to unbutton his shirt.

"Not sure we should be foolin' around, darlin'." he told her as she raised an eyebrow, pulling his shirt tails from his jeans.

"No?" she asked, leaning in to him to kiss his neck, Logan taking a few steps backwards, sliding his hands to her wrists, stopping her progress on his shirt.

"No." he replied. She wrinkled her brow wondering what she'd done wrong now. He held her stare while she ran the spectrum of emotions, settling on rejection.

"Oh." she said quietly, stepping back, waiting for him to release her hands. Her heart was racing.

"I just want to make sure you're alright, sweetheart." he told her as her spirits fell.

"No, no. I get it. You don't have to explain. I'll just, uh. I'll just wash up real quick. Hit the sack. You go ahead and do whatever you were planning on." she said quietly, her arms wrapping around herself when he let her go. He called out to her as she closed the bathroom door. Fuck. How did they get so far out of synch? He hadn't even tried to fool around with her since she found out she was pregnant again, and had barely touched her since she lost it. She washed her hair slowly, taking her time, knowing that he wouldn't be waiting for her when she got out. Abbey would sleep for a good couple hours, so he could lock the door on his way out and no one would bother them. When she stepped out of the shower, she could hear Abbey laughing. Well, at least the girl knew how to entertain herself, she thought as she wrapped the towel around herself tightly. She opened the door to find Abbey out of her crib. She was in the living room, pulling on Logan's sideburns while he made faces at her, getting her to laugh. He was on his back and she was laying on his chest laughing hysterically and squealing. He tipped his head back, looking at K upside down, Abbey drooling on him as he greeted her.

"Dinner's almost done. Kitty wanted to take Abbey for the night, I told her that'd be fine." He said. K didn't see the point, he'd been pretty clear earlier about not wanting to get back into bed with her. She tightened her mouth, nodding once before closing the bedroom door to get dressed. She slipped on her oldest, rattiest, most unflattering flannel shirt and a pair of yoga pants, her still wet hair hanging over her shoulders when Kitty came in, grinning.

"You're sure you don't mind her spending the night with me?" Kitty asked as K kissed her daughter.

"No, she loves her big sissy." K said "But if she fusses too much or gives you any trouble, just bring her right back, alright?" Kitty agreed, taking Abbey's bag and waving goodnight with Abbey to Logan and K. They sat down to dinner, eating in silence. As soon as they were done, K made a beeline for the bathroom again, brushing her teeth and intending on turning in. She climbed into bed and had just gotten comfortable when Logan asked her to join him. She rolled her eyes, pushing the covers back and going out to him, somewhat irritated that he'd waited until she was comfy. When she got to him, he had a new set of leathers waiting for her.

"What's this for?" she asked, arms crossed.

"Why don't you try 'em on, we can go for a ride." he offered. She eyed him suspiciously before dropping her pants and squeezing into the new leathers. She headed into the bedroom to find an appropriate shirt, coming out in a tight black tank top. Logan did a double take when he saw her realizing she wasn't wearing a bra when she pulled her hair into a braid. They hopped on his bike, Logan insisting on taking just the one this time. They headed down the road, K leaning into him, but not holding on as they rode. He took her all over the countryside, finally turning down that old dirt road that led to his hidden mossy cabin.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He just smiled to himself, continuing down the bumpy road, stealing a glance over his shoulder when she leaned away from him, holding her breasts tight to her chest with her arms crossed. When they got to the end of the trail, she jumped off before he could turn it or kill it. He followed quickly, pulling a blindfold from his back pocket.

"You trust me?" he asked, she just stared at him

"What kind of a stupid question is that?" she asked.

"That's not an answer. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then hold still." he said, slipping the blindfold over her eyes. He pulled her in slowly, his hands on her shoulders as he led her down the trail.

"Unnecessary, Logan. You've brought me here before." she said as he chuckled.

"Humor me." he told her, taking her deeply into the woods. She wasn't sure now if he was taking her to the cabin or not. When she smelled the familiar scent of dust and moss, she knew they were there. He leaned forward, breathing on her neck, kissing her every now and again as he took her scent in.

"Logan -" she started but he put a finger over her lips.

"Trust me." he said, his hands sliding down her sides to her hips before moving forward to unbutton her pants, one hand slipping into her pants while the other slid under her shirt.

"Do you not own any underwear?" he asked as he slipped his hand down further, nudging her legs wider with his foot as he worked his fingers into her. She swallowed hard, leaning back into him.

"I didn't think you wanted to fool around with me." she said raggedly. He growled in response and removed his hand from her pants, sliding her shirt up as his breathing became rougher.

"Take 'em off." he growled. Hesitantly she began to shimmy out of her pants, harder to take off now that she'd worn them a little. He removed her shirt, careful to keep from moving the blindfold. She could hear him taking off his shirt and moving around a bit before he led her across the room and set her on the table, sitting on his shirt. He positioned her where he wanted then told her to relax, kissing his way up her legs. When he was finished teasing her, she felt him stand up again, nothing but his skin touching her legs as she was pushed back, realizing that he'd removed his remaining clothing when she felt him pressing against her. He did everything he could think of without actually penetrating her. She was getting frustrated.

"What are you trying to do to me? Please, Logan …" she said, pulling at him. He had to smile to himself, she was certainly convincing. Only problem was that he didn't trust himself. "Please," she said. He never could deny her when she asked him so so nicely.

"Please, can you take off the blindfold? I want to see your eyes." she said breathlessly. He captured her lips as one hand drifted up to the back of her head, undoing the knot as he kissed her. She blinked quickly, trying to adjust to the low light when they locked eyes and fell into their old habits very quickly.

…...

Things were shredded in the cabin. The table was done for. The bed – well that needed replacing anyhow. He watched her as she dressed, deciding on the spot that K in leather pants was worth whatever price he'd have to pay. Her smiling at him topless was the cherry on the cake.

"Woman, I swear," he said, shaking his head, giving up completely on finding his shirt when she slid up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. They left the little cabin, K running out with her shirt in her hand before Logan could get his boots on, egging him into chasing her in the forest. When he caught her, he pressed her against a tree, their hands roaming each others bodies. She was just about to shimmy out of her pants again when he stopped her, his eyes searching the cloaked forest.

He heard something out there. She watched him for a moment then her head snapped towards the same direction he was looking, scanning for movement. She didn't have the mind to cover herself as they slowly moved to stand back to back, watching the darkness. Logan looked over his shoulder in time to watch the weak moonlight glimmer on her blades as she slowly and silently slid out her claws. He waited, far more comfortable simply letting them fly when the time was right. He felt her tense against his back then crouch, ready to spring at whatever was out there, no foreign scent other than their own was in the air.

Then, quietly, they caught the sound of whatever or whoever it was slowly creeping away, when they heard it crest the hill to the south, Logan motioned for her to get moving, looking over his shoulder as they went, K slipping her shirt on, realizing that she was until that moment, still topless.

When they reached the bike, they were stunned. It was totally trashed. Forget undriveable, it was unsalvageable. Every single chrome detail was crushed, the engine block even torn apart, gasoline on the ground and the seats and tires slashed. There was nothing left for him to try to fix. Irritated, he kicked the crumpled fender and took her hand in his, walking back to the road where maybe they could either catch a ride or call for one.

They were both on high alert. They didn't need to discuss it, the mystery person in the woods had to be the one that trashed the bike, or at least was in cahoots with them. K was a little disappointed that the jackass in the woods hadn't bothered to engage them.

They were nearly halfway out when they were lit up with floodlights, blinded by the sudden brightness neither could see what was happening, back to back and claws out. Before they could make a move or adjust to the light, shots rang out. K looked to her leg to find darts in her thigh. She turned toward Logan, finding him with similar darts, shaking his head. She tried screaming out mentally for Jean, praying she might be able to hear them as another round of darts hit them. Her vision swam and suddenly her legs wobbled and gave way, dropping her to the ground, her claws retracting on their own. Logan turned to look at her as her head dipped forward.

"No! Don't close your eyes – don't -" he said as four more hit him in the neck and chest. He wavered, falling next to her, leaning toward her, his claws in. They managed to crumple next to each other, nearly holding hands.


	20. Paging Mr Wilson

Kitty and Abbey had just finished up breakfast when Abbey started to get fussy. Big sissy was fun, but she wanted mom & dad now. Kitty brought her down to the boat house and let herself in.

"Hey guys, she did great last night, no trouble going to sleep at all, but she's ready to be home." Kitty said, her voice dropping off as she realized no one was there. Holding Abbey tightly, she walked into their bedroom. The door was open, so she was reasonably sure she wouldn't walk in on anything she'd need therapy for later. No sign of them. She started wracking her brain. She remembered hearing Logan's bike take off last night, but she didn't hear him come back in. She handed Abbey one of her toys from her crib and took her back to the house. It wasn't like them to be gone if they were expecting Abbey. Jean scrunched up her forehead when Kitty came back with the fussy little girl.

"What's up? I thought K would be looking for her." Jean said, Kitty looked grim.

"They're not there." she told her, Jean taking Abbey from her as she fussed.

"Well where would they be?" Jean asked, trying to smile for the little one.

"I don't know. I heard the bike take off last night, but I don't remember hearing it come back. You want to take a look for them?" Kitty said, wringing her hands. Jean looked at the clock, it was past nine. She nodded, calling for Scott to come and play with Abbey while she started searching.

…...

"C'mon pretty girl, time to wake up." A sing song voice was over her head while it's owner was stroking her cheek. She turned her head away from his hand while she pressed her eyes shut harder before opening them, blinking as she looked around, her eyes landing on a black and red mask.

"That's a good girl. Hey, tell me – just out of curiosity, what are you doing with that jerk anyhow? You got self esteem problems? Daddy issues? You know he's older than dirt, and that pretty much every girl he fucks ends up dead, right? What gives? Is it a deathwish?"

"Who the hell are you?" she managed, her voice cracking.

"Oh, right. I'm not as popular as the ol' canucklehead over there, I keep forgetting. They call me Deadpool. I was hired to pick up your little … whatever the hell he is. Date? Boyfriend? Fuck buddy? Whatever. You got to come along because of your pretty _shiny_ hardware. Where did that come from, by the way?" his voice had taken on a suspicious hard edge. K didn't answer, just trying to see where Logan was.

"Oh, he's here. Don't you worry your little head about that. You just don't get to see him. Sorry about that, they just weren't expecting a girl-verine. HA HA HA. Oh man, that's funny. * sigh * I crack myself up. That's funny, right?" he giggled to himself as he walked away, leaving her tied up tightly to a chair in the middle of a dark, damp concrete room. "Hey, don't go wandering off! I'll be back so we can chat again. We're gonna have a lot of fun together!" She jumped as the heavy metal door clanged shut behind him as he left her alone.

…...

Jean walked out of Cerebro looking grim. She couldn't find them anywhere. She made her way to Hank's lab.

"I need a favor, Henry." she said. "You have to call the Avengers. Logan and K are gone." he removed his glasses as he turned to look at her.

"Consider it done. When did they disappear?" He replied.

"Some time last night, or early this morning, I'm not sure. They never came back from their ride."she told him. He picked up his cell and made the call. With some luck, they could get this straightened out quickly. Abbey was clearly not happy already, she was going to be hard to deal with if she couldn't see one of them soon.

…...

K heard footsteps echoing down the hall growing closer. She still jumped when the latch to the door was moved though, the sound so much louder than it should have been as it echoed in the cement room.

"So, you're the one." the still unseen man said. He walked up close behind her and set his hands on her shoulders, making her jump. She didn't speak. She didn't want to give this person anything. "You're the new weapons plus project. There were rumors floating around that they'd found a better version of my father. Easier to control was the word on the street, less of a stand out for assassinations. They didn't mention that you were such an attractive girl. I'm willing to bet they'd pay good money to get you back. What do you think you're worth, girl?" She refused to answer, willing her hands to look relaxed as she focused on keeping her claws in. When he removed his hands from her shoulders, she finally caught a glimpse of him. He bent over, holding her head in his hands, inspecting her face. "No one would suspect you, would they? And you could get into anywhere, couldn't you? Clearly you'll screw anything. I'm still confused though." he told her as he squeezed her jaw. "Am I supposed to call you 'mom' now?" her stomach fell. How much did he know? She'd been warned about Daken. He smirked and slid his hand into her hair. "No. That would never happen, though I doubt you'd want me to. You look too young for that." She still refused to speak as he ran his hands across her body, assessing her. "You're strong. That's good. But you smell like him - he used you too much." He leaned in close to whisper to her. "Don't worry though. He won't be a problem for long. You'd be free to look for a new husband if it weren't for the fact that I'm going to sell you to the highest bidder. And my little half-sister? She's as good as dead." She refused to show any emotion as he smiled cruelly at her, running his thumb over her cheekbone before he released her head, turning and leaving her alone again. That last little jibe had gone further than Daken had intended it to. She hadn't moved a muscle and was now assessing the room she was held in. She was chained to a chair, nothing special, other than she simply couldn't get much leverage on it to break it. The room looked like it was concrete and she couldn't see the door. She sat like that for nearly half an hour before the door opened again. All she could think of was whoever was walking through it was a dead man.

"Is that true? All of that?" Deadpool asked quietly, kneeling down to see her face as she stewed. "You got a kid with him? Like, on purpose?" She remained silent, but her jaw tightening was confirmation for him. "Oh man, I can't stand by while a kid gets killed. Or orphaned. Even if I don't like that little hairy weasel. Last thing we need is another Daken running around." Her eyes locked on him suddenly. If he was pulling her leg, he was going to beg for mercy. He rose up halfway from his crouch, looking down the hallway before leaning forward and putting his hand on her knee.

"I'll get you out of here, but I'm not on board for helping him. Just go. Enjoy your little girl." he told her, K finally speaking at just over a low growl.

"Just point me to where my husband is." she told him, suddenly breaking the chair as she slammed it backwards, shaking off the chains Daken had her restrained with. Deadpool just stared at her a moment, Aside from that one quick violent movement, she was perfectly still as she stood. He couldn't even see her breathing.

"Oh kaaay. Yeah, he's down the hall, to your left and two doors down. It's just me and Daken, soo -" he told her, K spinning on her heel and stalking off the way Deadpool directed. When she got near the door Logan was supposed to be in, she could hear Daken hissing out something to him. Peeking through the open sliding window on the door, she could see his back to her, Logan chained to the wall and bleeding copiously. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Deadpool waving at her to come back his way.

"Listen, that guy's got some serious skills, and no qualms about beating on a woman. You should go. Cut your losses here." He told her. "Why would you want Logan around your kid anyhow? He's a lowlife murderer." She leveled him with her glare as her rage began to surface.

"He's mine. And his angry angsty son in there has promised to come after my daughter. I will not just go to wait for him to come after me. I'm not that patient anymore." she whispered low. "So you can help me get in there, or you can turn your back and walk away."

"Listen, he paid me really really well to catch Wolverine. It's nothing personal, really."

"How much."

"What?"

"How. Much."

"You're not going to hire me to help you are you?" he asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

"No, you're going to do it because you know I'm right." she told him, Deadpool staring back at her.

"Fine. Gimmie ten bucks." He replied, shaking his head. She looked at him as if he'd truly lost it. "Ten bucks and you've hired me. Special price for a sexy lady in leather." She shook her head blinking.

"Where the hell do you think I have money on me?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Don't know but I was hoping to watch you get it. Hey, you can pay me after the job's done, alright? Just, put your hands up." he told her, drawing one of his pistols at her. She narrowed her eyes as he gestured to the door down the hall. "You want in by Daken? It's got to be because you tried to escape, alright? Now, be a good little prisoner." She slowly raised her hands. "Now, jump up and down a little." he said, a smile in his voice. She froze, disgust on her face. "OK, fine. Just thought it wouldn't hurt to see a little jiggle. Damn." he complained, pushing her down the hall. He didn't knock before opening the door and roughly pushing her through it.

"Found _this _little thing makin' a run for it. What should I do to her, boss?" Deadpool said, gun pointed at K as she glared at the surly mohawked man. He turned to assess her, smiling suddenly as he reached out and grabbed her by her hair, hauling her in front of Logan and forcing her to her knees.

"Just what I needed to prove my point to my father. Just another stupid woman that will have to die because she was stupid enough to spread her legs for him." he growled out as he popped his claws. Logan's breathing was ragged as he struggled against his bonds, trying to find a way to get to her.

"Is that what you think of your mother too, Akihiro?" K spit out her head wrenched as far back as Daken could force it. Logan looked up, holding his breath. Now she did it. Daken froze for a split second before retracting his claws and kicking her in the stomach.

"You don't get to talk about her, you dirty little whore! That is not my name!" he screamed out, winding up to start beating the shit out of her, K scooting across the concrete floor until she hit Deadpool. Logan watched it unfold, struggling as he bled, sure K was in huge trouble when she bumped into Wade. What he didn't expect was that K had it figured out. She made it to her feet and purposely pushing against Wade, his hands gripping lightly on her upper arms as if he was holding her for Daken. She slipped her hands onto Wade's hips then quickly slid her hands down until she wrapped them around the twin .50 caliber semi autos, unholstering them and open firing on Daken. She knew it wouldn't kill him, but she just wanted to slow him down. Deadpool went to assess Daken's condition, whistling low as she ran to Logan, cutting him loose.

"You shot him in the _face._ Like six times. HOLY SHIT Logan, you do NOT want to piss this woman off!" Deadpool laughed, kicking Daken as Logan leaned heavily on K. She had him lay down a moment, helping him to pull himself together seeing as Daken had eviscerated him. She kneeled next to him as he stitched himself together, Deadpool keeping watch.

"Wow, Logan. Hey, you know she's a keeper when she'll stand by you while your guts are hanging out." Wade joked, K ignoring him entirely.

"Um, hey pretty lady – he's moving over here." he said, pointing towards Daken. K barely looked before letting another bullet fly, again splitting open his skull, and buying them a little more time. Logan stared at her, barely picking up his head.

"That is a little disturbing, darlin'." he coughed out, Deadpool coming over to help him to his feet.

"I protect what's mine." she growled out, earning a smile from Logan and a woof from Deadpool. He leaned on K, Deadpool taking back one of his pistols, but K refusing to relinquish the other as they made their way toward the exit. She shot Daken one more time as they left the room, insurance for a few more minutes. When they got outside, she was shocked. They were in some big industrial building in the outskirts of a large city.

"Where the hell are we?" K shouted, exasperated at finding herself in such a large dirty smelly place.

"LA. Come on, this is the way out." he said, leading them toward an open spot in the fence. Daken stumbling out behind them, screaming at her all the horrible things he was going to do to her. She helped Logan to lean on the fence, turning to face him. He'd already popped his claws, his blood drenched face twisted into a snarl as he ran at her. She left Logan ready to challenge the young man, her own claws out and ready, waiting for him to come to her. Deadpool just stood back and watched, helping Logan remain upright and making wisecracks about there being no refreshments, offering Logan the odds on a bet as Daken made it to K, K using his weight against him and tossing him over her head, spinning on her heel to keep her eyes on him. He was too close to try that again, and enraged that she'd pulled it off, spinning in to her just as quickly as she dodged. For speed, they were fairly well matched. His strength though was far and away above anything she could deliver. He hit her with a closed fist, hard enough to knock her off her feet and was on her in a heartbeat, his claws on either side of her face as he screamed at her for her insolence. She was dazed, not realizing what was going on when she finally made eye contact with him. He was standing on one of her hands, as he spun her towards his father. She could have made an effort to cut him. She could have sliced his arm off. Instead, she gently placed her hand on his forearm, caressing it, causing him to stop mid rant and look at her. She swallowed, the motion cutting her as his third claw pierced her throat just a touch.

"It's alright." she told him. "I understand. Just know that you're doing to your baby sister the same thing that was done to you." He stared at her blankly as Logan gained his bearings. K lifted her hand from his arm and reached up a little further, cradling his face. "I know you must hate to hear it but you look so much like your father. It's a shame you refuse to become something better than this." His look of shock slowly morphed into rage again. He had almost decided to let her live, until that last little jab about looking like him. As he snarled, Logan hit him, finally pulled together enough to fight, K's throat taking a hit from Daken's claws as Logan hit him. She was now on the ground bleeding profusely while she helplessly watched the two duke it out, Deadpool rushing to her side trying to stop the bleeding.

"What do you need? What can I do?" he asked her, her eyes locked on her husband. She made a motion like phone. "Call? Who do I call? Oh, right." he said, pulling out his cell phone and calling the mansion. "Hello, Yes, Xavier Institute? Wonderful. I am calling on the behalf of one of your teachers – or mascot or whatever the hell he is. Are you missing a cranky furry little powder keg and his lovely lady friend? You are? Well, come get 'em, or what's left of them. He's kind of busy right now." he said, a pause on the line while he looked around. Suddenly a shot rang out as K took aim at Daken again. She'd hit him in the chest the first time. "Yes, there is gun play. Yep, that's where we are. Alright, thanks!" he hung up the phone, turning to K.

"Looks like my little patient is feeling better, shooting in the general direction of her man. You didn't hit him did you?" he asked, K shaking her head as she pulled the trigger again, this time hitting Daken in the shoulder. It wasn't long before Logan had him on the ground, his boot on the back of his head, shouting for Deadpool to bring him something to restrain him with. Once he was incapacitated, and bitching loudly, Logan took Deadpool's phone and asked for SHIELD to pick up his unruly son. SHIELD arrived before the X-Men by a good stretch, Stark in charge of the operation and leading the medical team as they attended to checking over both ferals.

"Miss, we need you to take off your shirt, we have to see where the source of all this blood is." a young medic told K, Deadpool perking up as he sat next to her.

"Forget it, I'm not bleeding anymore." she said wearily.

"I'm really sorry, but I have orders. Please don't make me get written up for this." he said, looking pitiful. Deadpool joined in, agreeing that the kid didn't deserve to be reprimanded. Logan hadn't heard the conversation at all.

"Just let 'em check ya over, sweetheart. Sooner they do, the sooner we can go." Logan said as two medics were wiping the blood off his chest and stomach, double checking for wounds. K shook her head and shrugged.

"Fine." she grumbled, stripping off the blood soaked shirt and leaning back on her hands. Logan's mouth dropped, having forgotten about her lack of undergarments.

"Damnit – SHIRT." he growled out tossing his flannel to her while the medic looking her over blushed furiously and Deadpool intercepted the shirt.

"Now, now. No reason to be rash. He needs to be _sure_ she isn't injured anywhere." He said, even in the mask, it was clear he was ogling her. It got to be a real issue when Stark casually walked over to get their side of the story, stopping mid sentence as the medic cleaned up the blood around her neck and shoulders, not even close to reaching her breasts, and desperately trying to avoid doing so. K looked up at Logan, pulling her bloodied hair off her back, her arms raised as the medics checked her over.

"Is … is everything alright over here?" Stark said gruffly, an attempt to sound businesslike while abandoning his facade of looking elsewhere.

"JUST BACK OFF – SHE'S GOT A GODDAMNED HEALING FACTOR!" Logan shouted, pushing the medics away as he snatched his shirt from Deadpool and pulled her to her feet, wrapping it around her in an attempt to cover her up.

"What about the leather pants? She could be hiding something in there." Deadpool offered, one finger pulling on the back of her pants, his head tilted as if the action would show him something more.

"Damnit, Wilson, I will stab you in the fucking eyes." Logan growled, thinking of what she wasn't wearing under the leather. K smiled at him – she loved it when he got posessive like this. Before the report was finished, the blackbird landed, Jean rushing out to see them, horrified by their appearance.

"You'll have to clean up before you see Abbey." Jean said, "She's been upset since you two disappeared." K nodded, looking to Logan.

"There is a shower on the Helicarrier. I know you don't have one in the blackbird." Tony offered. K shook her head.

"No way in hell I'm getting on that thing." she said leveling with him.

"Well... you could just use my house. Your clothes are still there." he tried, the comment making Deadpool's day.

"Wait, wait wait." Wade said, hands out in front of him. "So, you're married to _him_ but you left clothes at HIS house? WHAT is that all about, and can I get in on it?" he shouted, his hand on K's shoulder. Logan let out a growl, and Wade actually flinched.

"I'm just sayin' – I totally work out." he said, blowing her a kiss as he wiggled his ass at her.

"I'll keep that in mind." K said, grimacing. She still hadn't seen what the merc looked like, but figured it couldn't be good seeing as he was the only one still fully suited up.

After going to Starks' and washing up thoroughly, she slipped into the least offensive thing she could find of the clothes he'd stored there from her time in New York. He gave Logan a clean shirt and the pair thanked him before finally boarding the blackbird, Westchester bound.

In the hangar, Kitty had brought Abbey to see them and was nearly impossible to hold on to. When K got close enough, she threw herself towards her mother, wrapping her little arms around her neck, hugging her and checking over and over that it was her before shoving her hand down K's shirt. She smiled at her father when she saw him, reaching over to squeeze his nose when he leaned in to kiss her, but unwilling to let go of her mother for some time. When she was convinced mom wasn't leaving, she began to wiggle madly, reaching for her father. She repeated the process with him, hugging him, checking that it was him and just having him hold her, finally falling asleep on his chest, the rumble of his voice as she heard it through his chest very soothing. They decided for their own sanity that she would sleep with them tonight, the little one resting peacefully, one hand on his mouth, the other in her shirt.


	21. Retribution for a Firecracker

The next few weeks were lazy ones. Abbey truly had gotten very upset when her parents were gone and she was making up for it, insisting on being held by one or the other most of the day and whining until she was sleeping between them at night, one holding her while her hand rested on the other. Jean insisted that they were doing all the right things to help her get back to normal. She was playing with Logan one afternoon when he burst out laughing. K raised an eyebrow and made her way over to them, watching from over the back of the couch while they played on the floor. She didn't catch what it was that was so funny. He leaned forward, giving her a serious look when the tiny girl got nearly a half inch away from his face …. and growled. Logan breaking into a huge grin when she did, getting a bigger growl from her and cracking him up. He scooped her up and started tickling her, the growl quickly turning into squealing laughter. K had to smile watching them. Sure, it wasn't exactly normal, but it was insanely cute, the tiny Abbey growling at her fearsome father.

…...

After Daken was taken aboard the helicarrier, things settled down a bit. Word had gotten out, probably through Deadpool that Wolverine was not to be messed with, seeing as his new partner had killed Sabretooth and gotten Daken imprisoned. It seemed to be enough to hold back the deluge for a little while at least. Abbey was asleep in her crib and K was leaned against Logan's chest, her arm across his waist as she nodded off. It was a perfect summer night and they had been taking it in. There was a quiet knock on the door and Logan carefully disentangled himself from K. Jubilee was in tears. Logan immediately pulled her inside, sitting her down at the kitchen table and asking what had happened. He had a fair idea, seeing as she smelled like booze, drugs and sex, but he needed to hear it from her, keeping his temper in check for at least a few seconds longer. K walked into the kitchen on hearing Jubilee's voice. She leaned against the counter, listening to her tale of teenage rebellion gone wrong. She and several of the other resident students had managed to wrangle some fake ID's. In celebration of the summer, and specializing in all things stupid, they decided to head in to a rave in Queens that they'd heard about. As it turned out, it wasn't such a great idea. _Surprise, surprise. _Logan thought, Jubilee squirming under his watch.

They broke every single rule that he'd ever taught them. They got separated, she didn't keep an eye on her drink, and before she knew it, she was trying to fight off some guy that was easily twice her size that was already rutting into her by the time she'd even woke up that much, still unable to lift her arms to even attempt to fight him. She'd already gone to the police, who told her it was her own fault and that she should have known better. Logan of course was livid. He was angry with her for making so many bad choices, but more than that, he wanted to kill the sonofabitch that did it to her and gut the cop that turned her away. K did the sensible thing and pulled her into a hug while Logan tried to channel his anger, instantly stalking off to change. He was going hunting for slimeballs. Logan roughly kissed K and told Jubes to get her ass up to Hank for some birth control. He promised to be back by morning, and off he went. Nothing more for him to go on than a rave somewhere in Queens. K took a different route. She called Kitty to come and stay with Abbey, making a point of walking Jubilee up to Hank. She decided that she simply didn't need to be alone. Hank was of course, mortified for her, so much so that he asked Celia to do her exam to save her the embarassment of having her furry blue friend see her so vulnerable, choosing instead to step in as supportive friend, holding her hand and listening to her again relive the experience. He was quick to notice though that K would ask a question here and there for clarity that had absolutely nothing to do with Jubilee's medical or mental well being. Suddenly he realized that although Logan was on the case, and likely already hunting the offenders – the ferals knew there were three, not just the one that Jubilee saw – K would not stand idly by.

She leaned in to give Jubilee a hug before she changed her clothes, Hank catching the motion as K closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath, her nostrils flaring. Somehow, to him, K's perfect calm in this moment was more unnerving than knowing that Logan was hunting and out for blood. K was clearly being calculating about it. After Jubilee was attended to, K pulled Hank aside.

"I probably don't have to tell you to get Scott on the other kids, right?" K asked.

"No, in fact I recorded her testimony as she told it to us, so he will hear it without her needing to repeat herself again tonight." He told her, wary of her seeing as this was K's first time back in the lab.

"Is she going to be alright if I go?" she asked, her eyes hard and her mouth set. He looked at her over his spectacles, weighing out the situation.

"Logan will find them." he told her and she nodded.

"Probably. But how long will it take him? Even with his abilities, he has little to go on and doesn't know where to start." she said, turning to watch Jubilee as she laid on her side, Celia rubbing her arm and talking to her. He sighed.

"He's done more with less. What's your plan? I know you have one." Hank asked, worried now for her well being. K turned back to Hank.

"Plauseable deniability, Henry. You may need it." she told him, clapping her hand on his shoulder before walking back to Jubilee and telling her she'd be back in a few hours.

"You're going after them aren't you?" she asked, watching K put on a very cold false smile.

"Rest up, Jubes." K replied, unwilling to say anything on what she had in mind and physically unable to show any warmth at that moment. After she left the lab Jubilee turned to Hank.

"Is it just me, or is she freakin' scary as hell like that?" Jubilee asked wide eyed. Hank just nodded.

"No, it's not just you. We know what Logan would do – is doing. We don't know the extent of her programming though. We'll likely be reading about it in the news tomorrow either way." He replied.

…...

Kitty was stunned when K stepped out of the bedroom, removing her wedding rings. She had pulled together a fitting rave outfit and was currently looking the part of a sparkling sex kitten, complete with glittery rainbow accessories. Without words to cover what she was thinking, Kitty pulled out her cell phone and snapped a picture.

"I just can't believe you're wearing that. What the hell are you doing anyhow? Are you going to that rave?" Kitty asked, K looking up at her quickly.

"Yes, and keep it to yourself. Logan's on the hunt, but I don't think he's going to find what he needs the way he's dressed. I'm going to poke around the party – the one she went to is supposed to go all weekend nonstop. She's damned lucky she got out of there so soon." K said, shaking her head at herself in the mirror. "I look like rainbow brite with a fetish for kink. But, I guess, whatever floats your boat." Kitty grabbed her arm and handed her a com link.

"Just in case." Kitty said, K looking at her now like she was totally insane.

"Katherine, where the hell am I supposed to put it?" she asked, staring down at the tiny bits of fabric covering her necessities. Kitty pulled a face and snatched the com, kneeling down and pinning it into one of the ridiculous shredded neon leg warmers she had on over her white lace topped thigh highs. She wished her luck and K disappeared.

…...

Logan was outside of the rave, no scent of the guys that raped Jubilee. Nothing anywhere. What the hell was wrong with these people anyhow? He waited to see when the party was going to break up, Jubilee had come home around midnight, and he got there by one, it couldn't go on all night, right? Anytime someone left the warehouse he circled around, hoping to catch the right scents. So far no luck, except for one whiff as the air from the warehouse drifted out through an open door. He knew they had to be inside still, but there was no way he'd be able to infiltrate that place. On one of his loops, he caught a far too familiar scent that should not have been there at all. He scanned the line of costumed college kids looking for any sign of his wife. He knew he smelled her, but where the blazes was she? When her scent drifted off he realized she'd gone inside. Damnit. Now he had to find her too. He snuck in through an upper story window, keeping to the shadows, cursing his hearing as the bass thumped below. When he peeked over the edge of the railing he was shocked. Not only did this party look like it was going to last all night, but it looked like it was just getting started. Bright neon rainbows of color assaulted his eyes. If K was in there, she was blending in. Jesus. How the hell was he supposed to help her if she was in there without clearin' the place?

…...

K had cut in line, smiling and flirting her way through the bouncers, marking one of them mentally. She'd have to come back to him. She wanted faces on all three, not just one. She worked her way through the crowd, dancing and mingling, finding one of them next to the DJ, apparently the second one was a bodyguard or bouncer too. She'd made the rounds when Bouncer number one came up to her asking if she needed a drink. AH. Here we go. She grinned and followed him as he took her hand, pulling her towards the bar. She was a little nervous. She knew there were some drugs on the market that could effect mutants differently, and she didn't know what effect if any they might have on her. The bouncer leaned in to the bartender then engaged in chatting her up while her drink was mixed. When he handed it to her, she was almost relieved to find that they'd slipped some simple GHB in her drink. That she could handle, and she knew what would be expected of her. She smiled at the bouncer and tipped it back, taking a small sip to be sure there wasn't anything else in there. As she did so, she realized the third scent was that of the bartender. She danced a little more, acted like she drank more, the bouncer never really getting too far away from her. Before too long, she started to lean on those around her for support – hoping she was looking the part of a very fucked up girl. It must have been convincing enough, since the next thing that happened was the bouncer 'helping' her off the dance floor, apologizing to those around her as he carried her off, the bartender stepping back as a new guy took his place. K continued to smile as he took her to a smaller room off the main dance floor. There were at least a half dozen girls in there, laying around, their clothes messed up, or missing altogether showing signs of having been recently used. As he set her down, he pulled the strings on her top, K giggled out an oops when it hit the floor as she quickly scanned the room for any other trouble. These guys had a method and knew what they were after. The big bouncer smiled at her as she swayed.

This was the kind of girl they'd been looking for all night. They'd gotten plenty of blondes and a handful of redheads already. The little asian girl had gone missing, but the boss would be happy with this one. She was a little older than the rest of the jailbait they'd seen all night – old enough to know better, but he wasn't complaining. She had a damn nice rack and her curves were in all the right places. She'd film well, especially after they pierced her – put a little sparkle down below. The guys that paid to watch the videos they made loved that kind of shit, and it had been a good long time since they'd found a perky little brunette. She was perfect - tiny little thing, smokin' hot body. He just hoped she'd be tight. She stumbled around the room a bit, turning around to realize that the bouncer had closed the door behind them after the bartender and the bodyguard showed up. She smiled and leaned on the wall as one of them grabbed her by the shoulders and directed her toward the other two.

"Wha's goin on guys?" she asked, slurring just a little, a smile on the bouncer's face.

"Just a little private party, honey. Why don't you shimmy outta your bottoms." he told her, waiting for her to stumble as he reached into his pants, stroking himself in preparation. The biggest guy walked up behind her as she backed into him. She looked over her shoulder at him and the bouncer grabbed her arms while the big guy grabbed her around the waist, pulling at her bottoms. They didn't want to wait for her to pass out. One of them smiling more, telling her to fight. She granted their request, popping her claws through the forearms of the man holding her arms then reaching over her shoulder to tag the big jackass holding her in the head. He dropped while guy number 3 tried to unlock the door in a hurry. She charged him, slamming him face first into the door he was trying to pull open, breaking his nose before she turned back to the bouncer. He managed to pull a gun on her.

"Get on your fucking knees, freak!" he shouted at her. K sneered as she stalked slowly up to him, claws to her sides.

"Why? You gonna shoot me, big man? You can't take a girl in a fight, but you can fuck her when she's drugged? How many girls have you raped this weekend, asshole?" she snarled. "Do you really think I'm going to let you hurt one more?" In a panic, he fired at her, tagging her arm, but clearly nothing big enough to do her any real harm, unlike the claw he got that sliced him from his balls to his throat, K pushing it in as deeply as possible, tearing through his bones like butter while she raked it up his body, nearly cutting him in half. She turned to the big guy, realizing she'd already done all the damage she could to him before returning to the bartender, who was trying to pull the door open, the big guy's body blocking him from opening it even a fraction of an inch.

"Hey asshole. What's with all the video equipment? You making money off these poor girls?" she said, picking up a camera and rewinding it, sadly for them, finding the footage of them taking turns on Jubilee. "Oh, she's cute. Where is she, exactly?" she asked, turning the screen for him to see who she was talking about, and gesturing to the girls passed out around her. "I don't see her here." The guy panicked, crying about how it wasn't his idea, and that he got paid to slip them the drugs, the sex was a benefit, and he felt awful about it even when some of the girls slipped away before they could finish the sale. She didn't buy it, instead questioning him on who he worked for, infuriated that these young women were to be sold off into the industry. He gave her all the names he knew before she castrated him, tossing his balls down an abandoned elevator shaft and beating the ever loving hell out of him, finishing up by carving 'rapist' across his face. She retrieved her bikini top and slipped upstairs. There was no way she was getting out the front door dressed like she was with blood all over her. As she snuck through the shadows, she damn near ran into Logan.

"The fuck are you doin dressed like that?" he growled out low as he realized the blood all over her belonged to the men who'd attacked Jubilee.

"Getting the bad guys. Hey, is there any way to get the cops to bust this party up? They're running a trafficking ring – if not porn too. Kinda sounded like it was." she said, continuing her search for a way out. Logan nodded and told her to follow him, glaring at her over his shoulder from time to time. He took her to the roof, but before he could call in the right people, his 'little friend' Spiderman swung in.

"What the hell are you doing at a rave - whaaaat are you wearing." he said, clearly looking at K. "and since when is blood the go to accessory for a rave anyhow?" he asked, crossing his arms. K shook her head and gave him the run down. He promised to handle it while the two ferals headed off, Logan getting mad when he found out that Bobby had dropped her off, then offering her his uniform shirt and telling her she needed a fucking shower. The men's scents on her after having associating them with Jube's rape had him sick to his stomach.

…...

Hank was right. The next morning the news was abuzz with a breaking development about a human trafficking and prostitution ring that was broken up overnight. The police were looking for unknown assailants in relation to a double homicide at the scene, the perpetrator being described as 'incredibly skilled with a large knife'. K sipped on her coffee, feeding Abbey as the news story continued, people on the street praising the actions of the mystery suspect that castrated the only surviving rapist, the police already pinning him for multiple rapes in the past six months. Jubilee looked over at Logan.

"Three? Tell me they begged." she asked as Logan shrugged.

"I wouldn't know." he replied, Jubilee scrunching her face.

"Oh, are we playing the 'If I don't admit it, it didn't happen' thing?" she asked, irritated that he wouldn't just admit that he'd gone out and succeeded in his mission to defend her honor.

"No Jubes, this is the 'I didn't have a goddamned thing to do with it' thing." he growled back, jerking his head at K. "Unless you count aiding and abetting." She looked at K, eyes widening.

"What did you do?" she hissed K just shrugged.

"I _am _doing the 'it didn't happen' thing." K replied, Jubilee smirking a little as she looked over the woman in front of her, realizing that having a woman with attributes like her mentor with the experience of actually having been raped herself sent after Jubilee's attackers may have been a lot more vicious thing to set loose on those men than Logan himself. She smiled to herself. K must actually like her if she'd go after someone for her.

"Wait, how did you get in there? They were only letting in ravers." Jubilee said quietly. "Was it a super sneaky ninja mission?" Kitty laughed and handed Jubilee her phone with the picture she snapped of K on it. Jube's mouth dropped open and Logan snatched the phone out of her hand, a growl rising up.

"You're never leaving the house again, woman." he growled out, nostrils flaring as he shot K a dirty look.

"K, where are your rings?" Jubilee asked. Logan reached over and snatched up her hand.

"You're supposed to keep those on, goddamnit." he barked out. She turned frustrated with him, grabbing him on either side of his face and kissing the hell out of him, his hands slowly making their way to rest at her sides.

"I am absolutely, without a doubt, unmistakeably all yours. BUT, I needed to take them off to get in there. You may punish me as you see fit it it will make you feel better." she said, raising an eyebrow. He glowered at her for a few moments.

"Fine." he said, looking to Kitty. "You free tonight?" he asked, she nodded wide eyed. "Not anymore. I gotta have words with my wife. And you WILL delete that goddamned picture." he growled out.

…...

That evening, K waved to Kitty and Abbey as she and Logan left the mansion, headed back to the boathouse for what K was sure would end up being a little argument and a few rounds of makeup sex. The minute she got through the door, he threw her over his shoulder, and tossed her on the bed pressing her into the mattress, holding her hands over her head as he cut away her clothes.

"Logan, what the hell -" she said as he covered her mouth.

"You said I got to punish you as I see fit. Don't fight with me or I'll tie ya down, and I know how much you'd like that." he told her, tearing off the remainder of her top. He yanked her jeans off then went to the dresser as she tried to relax, nervous about his threat of being tied. She knew he'd do it. He picked up her wedding rings and brought them back with him. He sat on the bed and gently placed the rings back on her finger.

"Those are to stay on from here on out, got it?" he growled "If you're running some kind of undercover, wear a fucking pair of gloves." She stared at him wide eyed. He sounded like he was actually pissed off at her. She nodded, biting her bottom lip. He was right, of course. He'd managed to keep his on this whole time. He stared at her a little while before standing up and removing his clothes. She stared up at him wide eyed as he knelt between her knees.

"Now that's settled, what kinda punishment you think you deserve?" he rasped out, smirking and pushing her back into the pillows.


	22. Therapy begins

After her attack, Jubilee started to spend more and more time following K around. Jean was acting as her therapist and had talked to K about sitting in on one of Jubilee's sessions, the young woman was having a hard time coming to terms with what had happened, and was blaming herself for the entire ordeal. K had refused to go to the sessions, telling Jean that she would go when Jubilee asked her. She was working on fixing some fence line, the hot summer sun beating down on her when Jubilee showed up, asking her why she was wearing a long sleeved shirt on such a hot day. The question was interesting seeing as Jubilee herself was rarely seen in anything less than a turtle neck and long pants lately.

"Well, I wear it to keep the bugs off. Flies are biting like crazy." K replied, leaning on the fencepost and tipping her hat back. "But that's not why you're here Jubes. What's on your mind?" K asked, her hands on her hips. Jubilee looked sick as she picked apart a piece of grass.

"Jean is trying to tell me … stuff. But she doesn't really know what she's talking about." Jubilee replied quietly.

"And you need to talk to me instead because..." K started, expecting her to spit it out.

"Because you're the only person I know that's been through ... this." Jubilee said quietly. There. It was out in the open.

"You want to do this with Jean and I?" K asked, not really wanting to hash out anything with the redhead. To her relief, Jubilee shook her head no.

"Just when you have time, I guess." She said quietly, not sure she should even be asking her. Truth was, for pretty much anyone else, K would not have cooperated. But, Jubilee was family, and she was hurting.

"Got time now." K said as Jubilee had started to walk away. She turned around, looking truly nervous. "What do you want to know, Jubes?" K said, leaning against the fence. May as well get started. Jubes asked her details, far more in depth questions than anyone else had asked her, and was saddened by her answers.

"Jubes, really your experience and mine were two different animals. You got the worse end of the stick as far as I'm concerned." K told her, Jubilee was wide eyed at K's assessment.

"But … Sabretooth." Jubilee said, K shrugging at the thought.

"Could have been worse." K told her. "He could have followed through on his promises." she said quietly. Jubilee had never heard her sound so … vulnerable. She realized how much of a mind fuck that a rape could be, and that in many ways, K was right – being drugged and passed around by three scumbags was a horrible experience, thankfully though, it was one that she didn't remember most of, and the tests that Hank had taken had all come back negative. She had more tests ahead of her, but so far so good.

"You're wrong, K." Jubilee said. "Yours was worse. Yours was personal, and you fought. Mine was the result of my own stupid actions." There was no self pity in her voice.

"Not just your mistakes. You're young. That's how you learn is to make mistakes. They were worse than animals, Jubes." K replied, her face stony. "And they got what they deserved." Her eyes widened.

"Are you ever going to tell me what you did?" Jubilee asked after they sat for a while in silence. K just shook her head.

"You don't really want to know." K told her. "And Logan would be furious if I did tell you. He didn't even see what I did." K stood up, deciding this was a good time to wrap it up. "I'll just tell you the one bit of advice that kept ringing in my ears. 'No man has the power to change a woman fundamentally simply by forcing himself on her.' It's simple, but it's true. Don't let yourself get too down. Everyone makes mistakes, but you can't blame yourself when someone takes advantage of you when you're down." K told her, turning back to her work.

"Wow." Jubes said, deciding to help her on the fence after all. They worked in relative silence, checking boards, making repairs as needed, some of the horses coming up to them as they worked, looking for treats. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon and it came to an end when Logan and Abby came looking for them in his truck.

"You girls ready for a break?" he asked, an easy smile on his face. Jubilee realized how handsome he truly was simply because of his smile. K put her arm around Jubilee's shoulder, walking with her toward the truck.

"Oh yeah. Plenty for today." She told him, as Jubilee jumped in the back of the truck. K leaned up to him, getting a quick kiss before joining Jubilee, their feet dangling as they sat on the tailgate. They weren't moving fast, but it was fast enough to make a breeze, cooling them both off. K removed her long sleeved shirt, revealing her lean arms coated in sweat and her tank top soaked to her skin. She leaned back, her hands behind her, enjoying the breeze.

"You don't feel weird about you know … wearing sexy stuff?" Jubilee asked suddenly, K turning to her weighing out her answer.

"Sweetheart, it doesn't matter what we wear. Every woman on the planet could cover up and hide away but there will always be assholes that will hurt a woman then blame it on her. That cop that said it was your fault? He was an asshole. Men can control themselves. They choose not to." K replied, picking her ponytail up off her neck.

"Has Logan ever...do you ever worry that he might..."

"No. Never. I trust him totally. He may have thought about it, I really don't know, you'd have to ask him – but you can bet your ass if he can keep a handle on it, everyone else sure as hell can." K replied as the truck came to a stop. K let her hair fall as Logan walked with Abbey to the bed of the truck. He raised an eyebrow when he saw K's tank top, his eyes remaining right around chest level. Jubilee noticed his focus and slapped him on the arm.

"Damnit Jubes -" he spit out suddenly.

"You don't need to stare! Jeez! There _are_ kids around!" she barked at him, K smiling at her.

"It's fine, Jubes. I don't mind." K interjected. "Lord knows I stare at him when he's been workin' out." Logan smirked as he pushed into her for a kiss.

"Well, yeah, everyone does." Jubilee let slip, Logan shooting a glare at her.

"What do you mean, 'everyone does'?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. She turned beet red.

"Um, nothing. Just … oh shoot." Jubilee stuttered.

"All the girls do, Logan. Common knowledge." K supplied for her. "They wait for you to come out of the danger room, the gym, or best of all – the hangar. All in hopes of getting a glimpse of _you_ half naked or more, sweaty. It's the chest." she said, sliding her hand up his shirt as he watched her hand on him. "Or maybe your abs." she ran her hand across his stomach as his eyes rolled up to meet hers. He grabbed her wrist with his free hand, Abbey still on his hip.

"Stop." he told her seriously. She grinned.

"Fine. Play hard to get." He shook his head as he let her hand go.

"Last thing I am is hard to get, woman." he replied as they walked up to the boat house, Jubilee smiling the whole way. The manner that they picked back and forth was purely entertaining. Jean and Scott were fun to be around sometimes, but their romance seemed almost – scheduled. Polite. They had no trouble showing affection in front of others, but Logan and K had a more relaxed aura around them when they were being affectionate. It seemed easy for them. Half way there, Jubilee turned toward the mansion. K spun mid step.

"Aren't you coming with us for dinner?" she asked, truly hoping she'd come along. Logan was smiling at her next to K, Abbey leaning on her father.

"Um, sure. I need a shower first though." Jubilee replied, not expecting to be spending time with them tonight, but more than happy to get the chance to.

"Be there in an hour, Jubes." Logan told her "K needs to hose off too." K jabbed him in the ribs.

"Pot – kettle, love. Pot – kettle." He just pulled her in, kissing her head and wrapping his arm around her shoulder as the three continued the rest of the short distance to their bungalow.

…...

It was the beginning of a long string of 'family' dinners for them. They made it very easy for her as she slowly regained her confidence in herself, and the night she fell asleep on the couch watching movies, Logan simply covered her with a blanket and let her stay. The next morning she panicked a little when she woke up, shocked at her surroundings until Logan offered her breakfast. She was slightly shocked to see him cooking.

"C'mon. Pull up a chair, almost done." he told her, turning to pick up his coffee. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat near Abbey who was already working on her sippy cup. K came out just a few minutes before Logan was done, stealing a good morning kiss from him as she passed him by, sitting across from Jubilee coffee in hand. Jubes was stunned when halfway through breakfast Logan offered to set up a room for her with them for her to stay with them as she pleased.

"No, I can't do that." she said quietly.

"Why not? Jubes, you're family. You should have your own space here." K said, a little shocked she hadn't taken him up on it.

"I know, it's just … well, I'm nearly done with school, and I'm probably going to college too." She replied, both Logan and K just staring back at her. "Look, the couch is fine when I want to be close to you guys, but I'm nearly a grown up. I don't really need a room with you. I have a room at the mansion." K stared into her coffee and Logan gave Jubes a little hug.

"The offer stands. You ever change your mind, say the word." he told her, Jubilee returning the hug ten fold before standing and doing the same to K. K was quiet as they finished breakfast. She really had hoped for Jubes to stay. When she went up to the mansion Logan put Abbey in her crib to play while K cleaned up, stepping behind her and sliding his arms around her while she washed the last of the dishes, kissing her neck.

"Woman." he rumbled. "I need you. Now." a shiver ran up her spine as his hot breath hit her bare shoulder.

"Ah …. not sure we should right now." she replied, her voice a little shaky.

"Yeah, we should." he purred, unbuttoning her jeans. Her head was spinning already as his fingers gripped her hips, slipping under her panties as he pushed them down, K drying off her hands.

"Wait. Just hold on." she told him as his hands continued to roam. "You're gonna get me in trouble."

"I'll be careful." he coaxed, sliding down her body as he removed her bottoms entirely, slipping his hands back up her sides as he slid back up, removing her shirt in a single smooth movement. She couldn't say no to him in the best of times. Being hormonal made it much much harder to think like a rational human being for her.

"God, you smell good." he growled, freezing K to the spot as he licked and kissed her behind the ear and down her neck.

"What did you just say?" she asked as he kept kissing across her shoulder, his hand cupping one breast.

"You smell really damn good." he replied. She whipped her head around, twisting herself to face him, a grin appearing as she did so.

"Logan, focus." K said seriously, things had fallen into place suddenly for her. "I haven't done anything different – do I smell different?" he nodded as he leaned in, kissing her then lifting her up and setting her on the counter next to the sink. "How?" she asked as he finally stopped for a second, albeit only to remove his shirt and unbuckle his belt.

"Just do. Stronger. Little bit like the north woods after a rain. Why?" he asked, pushing her legs apart.

"I'm ready to ovulate. You don't want me – you just want me pregnant." she said, accusingly. He raised an eyebrow as he stopped inches away from her, his hands now holding her thighs.

"Makes sense." he said reasonably before leaning forward and kissing her again, totally undeterred by her revelation. She tried to squirm back away from him as he pulled her close, not yet really starting in.

"Hey!" she pushed against his chest, finally getting him to straighten up.

"What?" he asked, clearly vexed at her sudden reluctance.

"You don't seem surprised. Did you know about this? _Are you trying to get me pregnant?_" she looked slightly murderous.

"I don't know. Just followin' my gut. All I know is I want ya." he replied. Her mouth dropped.

"Get a condom."

"No." She was stunned. Especially when he continued to kiss and stroke her.

"Stop." she said. "I'm serious, damnit. STOP." she was nearly shouting at him. He stopped and looked her in the eyes.

"Do you trust me?" he asked her calmly, her stomach felt like lead, a tiny bit of fear jumped to her heart.

"You know I do." she replied. "But I don't want to get pregnant right now." He smiled and again leaned in for a kiss, his hands on the counter this time.

"OK then. Trust me. I'm in total control. I won't knock you up. BUT – you are my wife. I want you, and I will have you." he finished with a growl.

"What if you slip – what then?"

"I won't. Or, you can lean back and let me do other things to you. Your choice in the what we do, but we're doin' somethin." He grinned. He really just wanted to make her writhe. She considered his offer. She knew it was not the smartest of moves, but she did trust him, and truth be told she wanted him in the worst way.

"You promise me you'll pull out?" she asked, a tremble in her voice. He nodded, waiting for her to give him the green light, knowing she'd bend for him.

"I promise." he replied, picking up her hand and kissing her knuckles, no sign of any feral tendencies on his face, his body relaxed. She sighed, her treacherous body tingling in anticipation and tensed, ready to spring. She was so freaking tense. She could feel the heat coming off him – so close. She placed her hand on his chest, sliding it up to the side of his neck, staring into his eyes as she slid closer to him.

"Don't let me down." she whispered, already breathless and slightly terrified of herself.

…...

Jubilee walked into the mansion, she knew Logan was waiting for her to leave so he could jump K. She startled as Kitty fell to the floor with a thump off the couch. She stared at her wide eyed a moment, Kitty looking incredibly embarrassed and Piotr smirking at her still mostly seated on the couch.

"I can't wait to move out of here." Jubilee said under her breath. "People makin' out and having sex all over the place. Jeez." She rushed up to her room only to skitter right back out again, walking in on her room mate, Paige in the throes with her current beau, Jono. She leaned against the outside of the door, her hand over her mouth. "Kee-rist. A girl can't even hide in her own room! How the hell does that even work for them anyhow?" she didn't know where else to go, so she let herself into Logan's old room. His things were all gone, but the loveseat remained and she always felt better in there. She ended up falling asleep on it as she'd done hundreds of times in the past, waking up hours later with Storm stroking her hair and gently calling her name.

"Are you well, Jubilation?" she asked her, a motherly tone about her voice. She nodded in response, stretching.

"Hi 'Ro. Just couldn't use my room – it was um, occupied. I needed to get away from the couples." She said sitting up and stretching out her neck.

"And you thought of Logan's old room as the best place to hide from couples?" Storm asked, a touch of amusement in her eyes. When she thought about it, it really was a good plan. No one ever went in there. She shrugged, standing up and heading out the door with Storm.

"I guess it's probably safe to go back to my room now. I need a shower. Slept in these clothes last night at Logan's." she explained, Storm smiling at her kindly as she waved goodbye. When she thought of it, there were a lot of couples around. Nearly everyone was paired up now.

"Is it too early for you to consider dating or at least going out with some friends, Jubilation? You deserve some fun this summer too." Storm asked as they reached Jubilee's room.

"No, that didn't turn out too well for me. I don't think I should be going out at all." She replied, waving to Storm and slipping in to get ready for the rest of the day. Storm thought over Jubilee's situation, deciding to talk to Jean about her self imposed punishment.

"Storm, really, she hasn't talked to me about it. She said she was going to try to talk to K. She hasn't come in for a session since then." Jean told her, advising her to seek out K to find out what had been said. When she knocked on the door to the boat house, it took a few minutes for Logan to answer the door in a state of undress and looking disheveled.

"What's the problem, 'Ro?" he asked, anxious to get back his version of torturing his wife. She looked to the ground as she responded.

"I need to talk to your wife." Storm told him, smiling to herself.

"Can it wait?" he asked gruffly, looking over his shoulder a moment, glaring at her to stay where she was.

"Not really. It's about Jubilee." He stiffened up then looked long and hard at K before sighing.

"Gimme a sec. She'll be right out." he growled, closing the door. She heard K muffled on the other side of the door shout his name chastizingly and his laughter. A couple minutes later, she emerged looking entirely more ruffled than she'd ever seen her, clearly having slapped on the nearest clothes she could find, the buttons on Logan's flannel shirt off track as it hung from her shoulders, her hair looked like she's just been thoroughly through the wringer. She took hold of Storm's arm as she quickly closed the door behind her.

"Come on, let's go – he thinks he's going to put a timer on this and I need a break," she admitted. She did look tired. "I think he's trying to kill me." she smiled, jokingly as they quickly made their way from the boat house and to Storm's greenhouses. Storm laughing at her the whole way. The woman was good for unexpected comic relief. Once they got to the greenhouse, K took a seat on an empty planter as Storm questioned her on Jubilee, relaying to her the concerns she had with Jubes' reluctance to enjoy herself. K got quiet, thinking it over well before making any suggestions.

"Is there anyone that is interested in her right now?" K asked slowly, still thinking over the possibilities.

"Yes, several boys are. Two are residents. Angelo and Emmett, though Emmett usually has Monet following him closely. Monet has a crush, and is rather pushy about trying to make Emmett do as she wishes." Storm answered. K thought it over.

"Can you separate Monet from Emmett?" K asked, knowing that Jubilee at least used to have a crush on the boy. Storm nodded, coming up with several ways to arrange for a separation of the two.

"Good. Um – let me fix my ... Good God, what the hell?" she said, really looking at her clothes. "That man. * sigh * OK. Let me get changed and cleaned up enough that I don't look like … this. Then you get Monet and Jubilee out of the house for a while. I'm going to have words with Emmett. Nothing intrusive, just feeling things out, OK?" Storm smiled at her and nodded.

"There are worse things, my friend than knowing that your husband is passionate about you." Storm told her. K having to concede.

"Yes, and I love it, I do. But, when he can get me walking crooked when my healing factor is in full swing, he _may_ just be overdoing things a bit." she replied, a smirk on her face that got Storm to break out a full on smile, nodding her head in agreement. On her arrival back to the boat house, it was eerily quiet. She peeked into Abbey's new room and found her still sleeping, so she padded back to their bedroom, knowing he had to be there waiting for her somewhere. She didn't get the shirt off before he grabbed her and tossed her on the bed, ready and waiting to ravish her again.

"Logan please," she begged while he resumed where he'd left off. "please I have to go do something for Jubes."

"When I'm done." he growled, intent on finishing what he'd started, covering her mouth as he got down to business in an attempt to keep her from waking the baby.

…...

When she finally emerged from the boathouse, Storm raised an eyebrow at her as she watched her move though the window. She looked unnaturally stiff as she made her way up to the mansion. By the time she got to the kitchen, Storm had a cup of tea ready for her and she was starting to relax a bit.

"Are you alright, K? You don't look entirely yourself." Storm asked, truly concerned for the little feral woman.

"Oh yeah. I'm fine. Logan got a little rough." She replied, taking her first sip of tea. Storm looked alarmed.

"Are you sure you're alright? You shouldn't be hurting like that." she said, slightly horrified.

"Oh sure. I'm fine, really – you should see the other guy. I'm fine now. I wasn't hurting, I was just a little too sensitive. But definitely not in pain. It would have been unnoticeable had I worn a skirt. The bluejeans though …." she replied. "Not going further into detail than that." Storm finally smiled.

"How does the other guy look?" she asked, K pausing as she chose the right words, seeming to look to the heavens for inspiration.

"Very happy." she grinned. "Very happy and very tired." Storm laughed. Jubilee came into the kitchen about that time, head to toe in baggy black. A little chit chat later and it was decided that she would accompany Storm to get some new clothes, after having admitted to burning all of her neon wardrobe after her attack. Remy felt badly for her and pulled out his wallet, handing her two different cards.

"Take yo pick, petit. You need sometin' to make you smile. Dat deep sapphire blue look real good on ya, if you want a lil' advice from dis ol' cajun." he said sweetly, Jubilee picking a credit card hesitantly and leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek before she and Storm left. K turned to Remy.

"That was sweet. Think dat ol cajun can do me a favor now?" she asked, teasing him. He smiled in return.

"Consider it done. Stormy already asked to get Monet out of de way for a bit. We gon' do a lil' recon work on a no longer used hellfire club spot. Dey ain't seen it in years, so nothin' gon' happen." he replied K smiling at him.

"You are a wonder, Mr. Le Beau." she replied, kissing his other cheek.


	23. New School Year Begins

K found Emmett in the gym. He smiled when he saw her.

"Hey Mrs. Howlett. Can you spot me?" he asked. K was one of his favorite teachers – she pushed him when he needed it, and it was just an added bonus that she was easy to look at. She went right over to him, hands on the bar with him as he ran through his weight training regimen, at first not saying anything, just spotting him and keeping count for him. She waited until he tried to show off, over loading the leg press when it started to get away from him. She helped him to get it under control, urging him to tap into her abilities to sneak a little extra strength. When he recovered and sat up she tossed him a bottle of water.

"Got a question for you Emmett." K said, her path totally blunt. She saw no reason at all to try to be evasive. He nodded, waiting for her to ask whatever was on her mind.

"What's the story with you and M?" she asked, pulling her hair into a ponytail. He looked shocked. None of the teachers ever asked about the student's relationships unless there was something wrong.

"I really like her. She doesn't feel the same for me though." he admitted. She nodded, looking studious.

"Anyone else on your radar?" she asked, watching him carefully. He looked down, smiling.

"If you're talking about Jubilee, I really don't know. I think she likes me, but she's my best friend. I don't want to wreck anything like that." he replied honestly. K considered it, gesturing for him to move to the next machine.

"I can understand that. But, if you are interested and you both let it go? You'll regret never having explored it. If you're really friends, it'll last even if dating doesn't." She told him as he started on the next machine. He looked serious as he thought it through.

"What about M?" he asked, K shrugged.

"Well, strictly speaking, if she's not into you, what difference does it make?" she replied. He wrinkled his eyebrows, thinking as he started his pull ups.

"How did things kick off for you and Wolverine?" he asked, figuring that if she'd cross the line, he was allowed too. He was shocked when she blushed, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you too much about that until you're over the legal age." she replied. "There's no way I can sugar coat it." He grinned, pausing at the top, his chin over the bar.

"Go Logan." he said, continuing on with his work out. She shook her head.

"Dirty damn teenage boys." she grumbled, getting a laugh out of him.

"I'll think about it. Maybe you're right. I mean, Jubes has been pretty down lately." he said out loud. K could see the gears turning.

"Just get her out to have some fun. Doesn't have to be a date. She just needs to quit acting like a little Summers and get back to being a teenager." K said, Emmett laughing.

"Yeah, she's been pretty uptight." he laughed. "Alright. I'll drag her out if I have to."

"Good boy. NOW – let's get you back to work."

…...

Jubilee had several bags of clothes at her feet and was currently enjoying a coke, watching the people come and go in the food court at the mall. Storm was with her, the two of them sharing a bite to eat and chatting easily.

"I just feel like nearly every guy I see is checking me out." Jubilee said suddenly. "It's gross." Storm nodded somberly.

"It is the male condition to gawk, it seems." Storm agreed. Just then a highly attractive young man approached them, hands behind his back. Jubilee tensed, ready to blast the guy.

"Excuse me, miss – but I've kind of been watching you, and you look a little sad." he said, pulling a rose from behind his back and holding it out to her. "I just wanted to tell you, I've seen you smile, and it needs to happen more often." She reached for the rose, cautiously as the young man grinned at her. She looked to Storm for guidance – she simply nodded to her, urging her to take it. She blushed a little and smiled shyly.

"Thank you." she said, the young man's grin bigger than it was before.

"No, thank you – you're beautiful, more beautiful when you smile. Have a nice day." he replied, waving to them as he left.

"That was weird." Jubilee said, confusion on her face as the young man returned to his friends who were giving him a hard time as he rejoined them.

"No, Jubilee, that was sweet." Storm told her as Jubilee started to smile a bit to herself. Maybe K was right. It wasn't entirely her fault. She still felt the responsibility, but it wasn't such a burden realizing that there were good people in the world too.

"Do you want to go home now, Jubliation?" Storm asked as she laid the rose down next to her.

"No. I want to shop. Remy gave me his card in good faith, I should find something that he would approve of." he replied, Storm smiling as they picked up their bags and started to shop again.

…...

Emmett came upstairs after taking a shower in the locker room. He was pleasantly surprised to find Jubilee and Storm coming back through the door laden with shopping bags. He wasted no time in asking Jubes to join him later for a movie. She was thrilled. She spent the rest of the day in nervous anticipation, preparing for the movie.

K had tried to keep Logan from the house when Jubilee was supposed to meet up with Emmett. Although he was concerned for her as she recovered from her attack, he had approved of her staying home and avoiding any parties or dating. K almost had him out of the kitchen when Emmett walked in, ready for his date with Jubilee, looking sharp.

"You headed somewhere, Thomas?" Logan asked, K knowing this could backfire on her quickly.

"Yeah, I'm taking Jubilee to the movies." Everett replied, hands in his pockets. Logan nodded, about to brush it off as normal friendly entertainment when Jubilee came in the room in a short blue dress. Logan stared at her openly.

"Dress is a little short, ain't it?" he gruffed, Jubilee blushing.

"No it's not, Wolvie. Sorry, but I'm going to be missing pizza with you guys later." she said to him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek as she and Everett headed for the door, Logan staring after her as she left. When the door closed behind them he turned to K.

"You have something to do with this?" he asked her, and edge to his voice. She shrugged.

"Just a little. She needs to get back to doing normal kid things." K replied. Logan looked torn between agreeing with her and being furious.

"She's just gonna get hurt by him. He's after that Monet girl." he told her. The corners on K's mouth tightened as she considered it.

"Maybe. But she's gotta have some fun too. She can't wait forever for something good to fall in her lap." she replied as she readjusted Abby on her hip. He shook his head at her, slightly irritated then pushed her towards the door. He kept his hand on the small of her back, pushing her all the way back to their place. Once they were inside, K rushed to set Abbey down to play with her things. Logan was waiting for her to return to him, arms crossed and glaring at her. She waited for him to speak, crossing her arms as she watched him.

"You can't push these kids into relationships, K." he spit out finally. K shaking her head.

"No, you're right. I didn't. They went out tonight as friends." she explained.

"Then why was she all dolled up?" he asked, his hands now on his hips as he took a few steps towards her, unconvinced that K wasn't trying to set up Jubilee.

"No idea. You'd have to ask Storm. She was with her all day." K replied, resting her hands on his chest as he invaded her space. He glowered at her a moment, inches from her face before letting out a breath and giving her a quick kiss.

"Just don't want her hurt." he said as K slid her hands around his neck.

"Me either. I don't want her living under a rock afraid of boys though either." she countered, sounding a little sad.

"Something you want to tell me, darlin'?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"Ancient history." she replied. Pulling him into a hug, the two of them taking a moment to hold each other as Abbey toddled to them, grabbing on their legs, pulling on their bluejeans.

"Up up." she said, leaning back as she held onto their pants. K smiled as she pulled away just a bit, reaching down to the little one and picking her up, the pair of them holding her as she wrapped an arm around both her parents necks. K kissed her as she grinned back at her. Suddenly Abbey tried to turn her mothers' head toward her father, so K was looking at Logan. Then she turned her father's head toward K. They smiled at each other as Abbey pushed on their heads, urging them to kiss. She giggled and repeated trying to make them kiss as they held her, her tiny eyebrow raised when they turned to her and kissed her instead, Abbey breaking down in a fit of giggles.

When Jubilee came in hours later, floating on cloud nine, K raised an eyebrow at Logan in a silent 'toldja so' moment while she gushed about the great time she had at the movies. The little firecracker was finally starting to act like herself, her smart mouth and sass coming back into the foreground of her personality. Abbey reached for her, hugging her when she saw her, Jubilee smiling at the little one's welcome before she wiggled out of her grip and tried to make her parents kiss again when she saw them holding each other.

This was quickly becoming Abbey's new favorite game. She loved seeing her parents kiss. It didn't stop there either. She loved seeing Jean and Scott kiss, Kitty and Piotr kiss, Stormy and Forge kiss. She loved the kissing. So much so that she would sit on the floor making her teddy bears kiss. Charles pointed it out to Logan one afternoon when he was coming in to pick her up after a team exercise. He was in his uniform and she squealed when she saw him, wobbling toward him away from Jean and Charles as they chatted, Logan picking her up and tossing her in the air, Abbey squealing in laughter then hugging him around the neck tightly.

"She's quite the amazing girl, Logan. She's been communicating with Jean and I all afternoon." Charles told him.

"Yeah? Whatcha thinkin' punkin?" he said to Abbey, the little one raising her eyebrow and hugging him again.

"She wants to know why she's the only baby here." Jean said.

"Oh, well – you better fix that Jeannie. K would probably kill me if she got pregnant right now." Logan said, picking up Abbey's teddy bear for her, the little one, squeezing it one handed as she snuggled into her father. Charles laughed, nodding his head.

"She may surprise you, Logan." Charles said, waving to Abbey as the pair left. Logan didn't put any thought into Charles' words as he made his way back to his wife. In fact, the notion of a second child was in his mind, non existent until K brought it up, which he was sure wasn't going to happen any time soon. School would be starting soon, and now he and K had a new class that was only available to the female students to teach them women's self defense - K's idea after Jubilee was attacked during the summer. He was surprised when he went to retrieve the sign up sheet that not only had so many female students signed up, but many of his team mates had expressed an interest in learning something new as well. They would meet Monday nights, after all other classes had ended. Charles and Scott volunteered themselves to watch Abbey so the class could be conducted with both ferals in attendance. The first class was an eye opener for Logan. K had opened it up by asking if anyone had been the victim of abuse. He was stunned when so many of the young women there raised their hands. She then asked them to introduce themselves and tell what had happened to them in the past and why they wanted to learn self defense. Their answers ranged from fairly non descript and 'normal' to absolutely horrifying. The quiet girl that had hidden in his combat class had been abused by a neighbor for years. Men terrified her and she had always refused to look any of the male teachers in the eye, afraid to make a target of herself. There were several girls that had been victims of date rape, another that had been molested by a police officer. K had not given one story or another any more weight than the next, letting them all get it off their chest before standing up and motioning for Logan to join her. He was very unhappy when he realized that he was to be the aggressor – attacking his wife for the education of these girls.

"Alright, love." she said releasing a deep breath "Abduct me." she told him, turning her back on him and walking away. He let out a breath himself, not liking his role at all before he took a few quick steps and wrapped his arm around her, pinning her arms to her sides and covering her mouth with his free hand, immediately dragging her backwards as she fought against him. She stomped on his foot, and threw herself around, breaking free of his grip and turning to fight, stopping all forward motion as Logan leaned toward her. He had taken it easy on her, allowed her to break loose.

"STOP." she said, catching her breath, eyes wide. "OK. Jean, can you please have someone else come down? Logan is too hard to break loose from, even when he gave it to me. We need someone without a ton of training for the first attackers." Logan offered her his hand, which she shakily took. He gently led her back to where they started, kissing the side of her head as he stood behind her. Many of the girls in the room now staring at him wide eyed, a healthy dose of fear in many of them who were new and didn't know him yet. K pulled Logan close to her again, placing his hands where she wanted them for her demo and in an exaggerated motion showing them how to break a hold. Logan didn't correct her. She was right, unless of course the man attacking was trained as he was. After her demo, Bobby, Remy, Sean and Forge walked in, offering their services. K told them what they were to do, the women of the team offering up themselves first as the four men 'attacked' them. It went perfectly. Logan and K walked the room, keeping an eye on them, giving the girls pointers to break loose. When they all had it perfected, one of them sheepishly asked if K could break free from Logan if he attacked her properly.

K looked at her husband a moment, weighing out how to answer.

"No." she said finally. "I don't think I could shake him if I had to." the class looked shocked. Logan didn't argue. He knew that with his training it would be difficult if not impossible.

"But," K said suddenly, breaking the hushed murmurs in the class "I would still try." The students murmurs and mumbling broke out fresh, debating on how she'd do fighting her husband off if he were to truly try to attack her.

"Doesn't matter, kids." Logan said, effectively ending the discussion. "Won't happen." he replied, turning to K, who reached out to him, Logan taking her hand.

…...

A few days later, the little family made their way to the mansion one morning for coffee and were greeted by a couple of unexpected visitors.

"Logan, K. Nice to see you two getting along so well still." Fury said to them as they entered the kitchen, Abbey on K's hip. She froze in her tracks, Jean came and picked up Abbey from K, taking her to Charles' office to play. "Cute little girl." he said, an attempt to be friendly to K.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD. Stark." K said stiffly, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Fury, bowed his head a little, resignation on his face, Stark had no humor to him today.

"Are you ever gonna warm up to me?" Fury asked her wearily.

"Are you ever going to be straight with me?" she asked, one arm across her stomach.

"That's why I'm here. To clear the air." He replied, turning to face her as Logan stepped up behind her, his hand on her hip. "We have a problem you need to be aware of." Logan stiffened up, setting his mug down.

"What kind of problem?" he asked, his grip tightening on his wife.

"We've had reports that Sabretooth is back in operations." Stark replied, watching them both for a reaction.

"Bullshit." K replied "His head was destroyed. How can he come back from that?" Fury shook his head.

"I don't know, but you two need to keep your eyes open, especially with that little girl around." he replied. "The sources are credible. The DNA evidence is solid. He is out there somehow." Fury stood to leave.

"What did you do with his body?" K asked, suspicious and angry, her head cocked to one side. Fury took a deep breath before answering her.

"It disappeared shortly after we took custody." he replied, his head tipped downward as he looked at her. She turned to Stark.

"Did you know?" she asked, wide eyed. Stark shook his head.

"No. I wasn't aware of the situation until yesterday. I lobbied for you to know." Tony told her. K looked pale. She began to get nervous. She hadn't trained to fight him since they'd thought they'd killed him. She was woefully out of practice against him, and she knew it. She turned to Logan.

"Is my program still there?" she asked, a waver to her voice. Logan even looked pale as he nodded.

"You can start this afternoon." he told her hoarsely.

…...

She took a session before her riding class, running one of her favorite simulations, and getting her ass handed to her as the Sabretooth simulation popped up in the middle of it, beating her worse this time than it had when she'd first started training before she married Logan. At the end of the session, she brushed herself off and changed quickly, not yet healed from the beating she took before Scott had realized that Sabretooth had even appeared. He wasn't used to the programming anymore either. When she got to the barn for her riding class, the students couldn't keep their eyes off her. She had a fairly large wet bloodstain on her side that she hadn't noticed until one of the younger students asked her about it. She looked down, realizing she should have waited a few more minutes before changing out of her uniform. She didn't have time to change before meeting up with Logan for the women's self defense class either. Logan took her hand and pulled her to him as he looked at her.

"Danger room?" he asked. K nodding in response. He was worried about her, Scott had said her session didn't go well. The self defense class ran well, they continued on how to break free of one grab or another, and K was tired by the end, Logan holding her back as the room cleared.

"Darlin' come on. Put me on the ground." he told her. K shook her head. "Come on, sweetheart. Take me down." She sighed and turned to him looking at the ground before suddenly lunging. In no time, he had her on the ground, unable to move. Nothing she knew could shake him and she was hopelessly pinned.

"OK. You win. Let me up." she said as Logan shook his head.

"No. You have to beat me. Try something else." he told her. She was tired.

"Logan, I'm tired. I can't do it right now." she said wearily as he shifted into an even more solid position over her.

"Too bad. You have to fight. I won't let you give up because you're tired." he replied.

"Can't this wait?" she asked, upset with herself for how badly she'd done in the simulation earlier.

"No. If he's around he won't wait until you're ready, and if he wins, you're dead and so is Abbey." he said grimly "Fight me." she realized he was right and fought with a renewed fire, Logan trying to give her pointers, telling her to use any means necessary. When she finally got one arm free, she took a swing at him, unable to connect as he blocked her. She couldn't get anywhere with him and they left the room with K feeling like a failure. The weeks went on like this. K took every open time in the danger room she could, and was making some improvement, though still not enough to beat him should he appear when one day Kitty handed her a letter. Clara was coming to visit.


	24. Betrayal

Logan watched K from the control booth. She didn't know he was there, having come in to relieve Scott so he could head off to a class. She'd just gotten attacked by the simulated Creed when Logan came in, the two of them watching her as she got what could only be described as downright vicious. She was on the edge of losing it and going completely berserk. It was like she needed the wind to blow just right and she'd flip. Scott leaned forward as he tried to see what she needed to send her over the edge.

"Kitty said it was really bad when she went berserk. I don't think she wants to do it again." Scott said, the look in her eyes and the increase in respiration and heart rate looking close to what happened when Logan lost it. Logan frowned. How bad could she get? He leaned over Scott's shoulder and started typing in a few additional commands in the program before hitting enter and standing upright again, waiting to see what she'd do. As she avoided Creed's claws and dodged between his slashes, making little contact a few team mates materialized to aide her. Kitty dodged in to try to help, Creed slashing her across her torso with an easy swipe, the simulated Kitty, falling with a cry bleeding terribly as the Creed she fought growled out his approval. K's nostrils flared. The two men in the booth watched holding their breath, sure that was going to do it. Then K forced it down as she ramped up her attack. She was now fighting much harder when the simulated Jubilee got too close this time, getting herself gutted. That did it. K's pupils dilated suddenly and she shook with rage, going into hyper drive, shredding him easily, unsated as she hacked him to bits, ready for anything as she panted heavily, her senses working overtime as she simply watched for something to kill. The simulation faded out into a rolling flower filled meadow, the breeze making the grasses and wildflowers sway. Slowly, she relaxed, her claws slipping back into their housings as she slid to her knees, hands shaking. Scott headed out to his class as Logan made his way to her to get her adrenaline crash under control.

"You're gonna be fine, sweetheart, just don't wait to let your feral out. You can use it to your advantage." Logan said as he knelt next to her, wrapping his arms around her. She shook her head.

"I can't. It's too hard to let it go." she said, leaning her head back onto his shoulder. It was an incredibly draining experience. He was surprised she was upright. Such an incredible amount of energy and emotion went into the shredding she'd just doled out. He knew when it happened with him, it took him some time to rebound. Sure, with the team around him he pushed forward and made it look easy, but if he was alone and could afford to do it, he'd stop and recover before moving forward. K shook her head still in doubt.

"I can't do it. It's just too much." she said, her exhaustion showing as he kissed her forehead.

"Ya need to try, darlin'. Might just be what pulls someone's ass outta the fire." The idea of it had her feeling like a failure.

…...

When the couple got upstairs, they were greeted by a very excited Bobby.

"Clara's here! I mean – she's here! Wow. A Creed welcome in the house. Holy crap." Bobby grinned, wide eyed.

"Grow up, Popsicle." Logan growled as he helped K up off the floor from their latest hand to hand combat session he'd insisted on giving her. She'd been consistently taking Creed down in the danger room, and now Logan wanted her to be able to stop him too. She was understandably having trouble bringing herself to hurt him. Clara looked like she'd seen a ghost when they finally saw her. She handed K a small box as the two broke their hug.

"What's this?" K asked looking at the small box. Clara was more pale then usual when she took a deep breath to answer.

"It was sitting on my bed five days ago. I had gone to take a shower and when I got back it was there." Clara replied, looking spooked as she waved her hand at it, waiting for K to open the box. Feeling like she was about to find a bomb, she very carefully slid the two sections apart, completely unprepared to find the little silver rattle inside.

"It's a baby rattle." K said frowning at it, now totally confused. Clara nodded, tears in her eyes.

"It was mine." she said quietly. K held her breath as she looked at it. "I'm pregnant, K. Due in six months and I hadn't even told anyone and here it is." Clara whispered, clearly ready to lose it. K shook her head, as she looked at Logan, brow wrinkled.

"Maybe it's a coincidence. Maybe Bill found it -" K started as Clara cut her off.

"No. It smelled like my brother. He had it. Kept it, and somehow he knew I was having a baby." she looked terrified. Logan stepped forward, removing the box from K's hand before holding it up to his nose, his face relaxing just a fraction as he handed back to K, nodding his chin at her. K cautiously repeated his action, swallowing hard as Creed's hard scent hit her nose. It was faint, but it was there. From anyone else on the planet, this would have seemed as a sweet, sentimental thought. But seeing as it was him, all parties concerned took it as a threat.

"Do you think he'd hurt you Clara?" Logan asked, trying to figure out how to handle the situation. She barked out a little laugh, gesturing to her scarred face.

"Yeah. He might." She said sadly. Logan's jaw was tight. He knew Creed better than anyone, but this was so far out of his range that he had no idea.

"No." K said quietly, still looking at the gift Clara had received. "No, I think he's happy for you." Logan looked at his wife wide eyed. "Think about it, how long has he held on to this?" K asked. Clara wracked her brain, thinking of all the years that had flown by her.

"Longer than I can even remember." she said quietly. K nodded handing her the box back.

"I think you're alright. You may have an unannounced visitor, but I think he wants you happy." K said, watching her reactions. "Of course, I could be totally wrong. But, my gut says otherwise." Clara smiled softly.

"You understand him better than you think, K. You maybe could have gotten along with him." Clara said, K bristled at the suggestion, shaking her head shortly.

"No. Hey, let's change the subject. Have you been checked out by a doctor? Just so happens we have one here that loves babies." K told her, pulling her by the arm toward the elevator to Hank's lab.

…...

Logan watched the two women go, thinking hard about all Clara said – and more about what she didn't. It had been years since he'd seen her, but he knew she was leaving something out. They weren't getting the whole story, and it made him uneasy. K had been kind in trying to be friendly with Bill's wife, but without fail, every time she talked to her, every time she spent a little time alone with her, every time – she would wake up at night for at least two or three days with raging nightmares about Creed. Clara's' visit would not end up being a good one for K, even if she tried to do all the right things. Jean was studying Logan who had just now turned from staring down the hallway to step outside with a cigarette, working his jaw as he thought. She followed him, just a hunch that he'd have too much on his mind. He whipped around quickly, dropping the remains of his cigarette and stomping it out as he heard Abbey's tiny voice when Jean stepped out with her.

"How's my girl?" he asked, no smile yet on his face, though his voice was light. Jean set the little girl down to run to her father on her tiptoes. Logan picked her up, nuzzling her nose. Abbey giggling at him as he did so.

"She hid when Clara walked by Charles' office. Something seems different with her." Jean said as he and Abbey got back to the door, Logan nodded before they went back in. Clara and K were saying their goodbyes, K wishing her luck and Clara promising to let them know right away if she heard from or saw her brother any time soon. When the door closed behind her, K shivered and scrubbed her face with her hands. This could not be good.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Logan said, Abbey staring back with him at her. K rushed forward quickly, reaching for them, Logan shifting Abbey so he could wrap his arm around his wife too, the little group taking a minute. Abbey was patting K as they held each other, only stopping to reach forwards and wipe away the tear that had slipped down her cheek and lean to her to kiss her. K chuckled a little at the sweet child they shared. When K kissed her back and picked her head up off Logan's shoulder Abbey's eyes sparkled as she immediately grabbed a hold of her father's sideburns, pushing his head toward K. Again with the kissing game. He grinned as K laughed and he complied with his daughters wishes, kissing his wife as Abbey squealed, clapping her hands. Logan let the little one slide down a moment as he pulled K tighter, hoping to ease her mind as he continued to kiss the sense out of her, Abbey silent at their feet until the kiss broke and she began squealing and clapping. K picked up Abbey and the little one hugged her as she smiled at her father. Abbey was convinced that kisses made everything better. Her parents were always more relaxed after they kissed. She was going to have to make sure that happened a lot more. They both needed to relax and she didn't know why.

…...

A few days after her birthday, Abbey was playing in Charles' office near the window, stacking blocks and making her teddy bears kiss when she saw someone outside. She watched them walk across the grass, pausing to look back at her for a moment and waved to her before they kept walking. She hadn't seen this person before, but they looked funny. Suddenly Charles picked her up, talking to her and studying her little face hard. He wrinkled his eyebrows and closed his eyes. Abbey knew someone would be in the office soon. Sure enough, Aunty Jeannie walked in and squatted down next to Charles. Abbey smiled, she knew Aunty Jeannie would 'talk' to her and it would be easier to tell her lots of stuff. After they had their little talk, Abbey turned to Charles and gave him a hug. He looked like he needed it and that was Abbey's job. Making people happy. She went with Aunty Jeannie – she said they were going to see Daddy. When she found him, he was with Mommy and both of them were in their uniforms, Daddy looking very serious and Mommy looking like Abbey had never seen her. Someone was in trouble. They both kissed her and headed upstairs. Abbey and Jean settled in to one of the more solid looking ready rooms, they kept this one with lots of toys for Abbey. She didn't know why they stayed in this room sometimes, but Jean or Kitty always tried to make it more fun.

…...

Logan and K ran through the property, searching. Logan caught his scent, and followed the trail deeply into the woods while K continued checking the perimeter around the house. The alarm had been on and it didn't go off when Creed breached the perimeter, so either he found a way to circumvent it, it was broken or he'd gotten an upgrade of some sort in his absence. They communicated via earwigs so they could keep hands free as they ran, Scott monitoring as they hunted, his eyes on the monitor, ready to assist remotely if he needed to when suddenly K's earwig wasn't working. He tried to find a remote reason for it's failure, but it wasn't there. As in, it was gone. He notified Logan immediately who had found where Creed's trail had circled back to where he picked it up.

Swearing, he ran toward where K had been headed, quickly finding her trail and racing down it until it just disappeared. He circled around where the trail went cold, nothing. He began to panic. She couldn't just disappear. Alarmed, he ran toward where Creed had hopped the fence, launching himself over it and running down his trail in search of where he'd come from. There was no car, no sign of where he'd been as that trail also just …. ended. He continued to search, having given Scott all the information he could, Scott relaying it to Charles who was already on his way to Cerebro. Dark was falling and Logan still searched. Scott tried to call him in, but he was frantic. He had to have missed something. Where was she? There had to be a clue – something. He didn't just let her be taken. He wouldn't quit until Charles' voice rang in his head.

_Logan, Abbey is looking for you. She needs you now, she knows something is wrong. I'm searching for K. I am certain I will find her. You have another duty to fulfill right now and it's more important than losing your sanity._ He was right. He had a little girl to protect, and she wanted him right now. He looked around the forest a moment, passing by the spot he and K kissed for the first time and broke into a run for the mansion. Charles would have to find her. But when he did, Logan was going to take care of the problem even if it killed him.

…...

K's heart was pounding frantically. She felt like a rabbit in a trap as Creed bound her hands tightly, warning her against trying anything funny. She did as she was told, sitting next to him, her head downcast. He'd promised to leave Abbey alone if she didn't fight him. She knew he was probably lying, but she also knew that if he made it past the mansion's security her little girl would be dead. She hadn't trained for the uncontrollable all encompassing fear that hit her when Creed attacked her. All her training was useless.

"First smart thing you've done yet, frail." Creed growled out as he sat back in the driver's seat, watching her. K didn't speak, she felt as if she might vomit if she opened her mouth. After a while, when he was convinced that she really was going to cooperate, he reached down into the console and picked up a bag. He pulled out a bottle of some sort of injectable and a very large syringe. When he'd drawn out a shot, she recognized the scent as it being the same stuff that Department K had used to sedate her. He slashed the sleeve of her uniform open, tearing it away from her arm, K using every fiber of her being to keep from reacting as he found the vein in the crook of her arm and started to slowly give her the injection.

"Good girl. Maybe I won't sell you back to the professor. You're smarter than you led me to believe." he purred, leaning her seat back and petting her as she slipped into blackness. When she woke again, she was stripped and tied to a bed. One of the scientists from the old department K was examining her, another finishing up a blood draw. She swallowed, her mouth feeling like cotton as the two men scrambled away from her. She laid her head back down, defeated. They had her and there was nothing she could do. The device Creed carried guaranteed that Logan wouldn't be able to track them, being as it teleported them to a spot far removed from the mansion before he loaded her into his hummer, binding her hands and feet. She had no clue at all where they were. Creed's heavy form settled next to her, but she didn't look at him as he started to speak.

"I haven't sold you off yet, girl. Those docs are running a few tests. When they come back, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do with you. Until then, you better rest up. Yer gonna need your strength either way." He told her, running a finger down her face. "Thank you, by the way." he said, K turning to look at him, confusion on her face. "Been years since I seen hide nor hair of my sister. I'm glad she seems to be happy, and from what I hear, you helped her with that. Only reason I didn't kill ya outright for marryin' the runt." Oh fuck. Clara did know more than she let on. "That little girl is a problem though." he continued. "I know, I said I wouldn't hurt her, but you have a choice to make, frail. Ya see, I promised Logan years ago he'd never have anyone to live for. So it's in your hands if these tests come back clean. Who lives and who dies? You can only pick one." he told her, patting her on the knee and rising up, retreating to the door.

"What are you testing for?" K asked, Creed freezing in the door way.

"T'see if you're pregnant. If you are, you don't get a choice. Both die." he replied walking away. Hours later he returned.

"Ooooh, we got trouble, frail." Creed said as he walked in, K truly scared of him in that moment. "Your test was clean, but … it won't be when you walk outta here." he said, stalking toward her. "I'll wait until we're all through before you have to decide who gets to live – the girl or the runt. Of course, you act right and don't do something stupid and I might just be inclined to give you another option." he glared at her as he stripped. "You gonna be a good girl?" he asked, K so scared in that moment she couldn't move. He inhaled deeply. "Oh, damn. You smell much better when you're scared, frail. Turns me on." He reached over her head, slicing the ropes that held her. "Now, lets see how good you can be."

…...

…...

Charles rushed toward the game room where Logan was trying desperately to keep his mind off his worries. It had been nearly a month since she'd disappeared.

"I've found her." he said. "I've even deciphered some of what's happening. We must get her out of there NOW." Logan had never heard Charles so urgent. "Give Abbey to Kitty. If this doesn't work, she may need intangibility." Logan looked to his daughter who smiled up at him, reaching for a kiss. Abbey knew Daddy had to leave now. Suddenly more nervous than he could remember being, he picked her up in a bear hug as Kitty phased through the door, responding to Charles' call.

"Love you little girl. Don't forget that." Logan told her as the two leaned their foreheads together. "Daddy's gonna do everything he can to bring Mom home to you." he said, the little one hugging him again before blowing him a kiss as he walked away from her and Kitty. Kitty was heart broken seeing the look on Logan's face. He looked like he was thought he was leaving for the last time.

…...

The first thing Charles did was to pull together the best of their X-Men to go with Wolverine. Beast, Cyclops, Jean, Storm, X-23, Havok and Banshee were chosen to go. The rest of the team were to remain behind, to protect Abbey. When the team arrived at the large complex deep in the Rockies they immediately began to search, Jean and Scott took off together while Wolverine and Banshee, Storm and Beast, and X-23 and Havok split off in their own directions. The building was massive, abandoned, and they were soon to find multi level. Laura and Havok found Sabretooth as he was ready to vacate the premises. Laura's nostrils flared when he got close and she viciously tore into him, Havok calling for backup as the two ferals tangled. In a lucky shot, Laura managed to slice his teleporter, causing Creed to swear loudly and start a more vicious attack on her. Jean and Scott managed to make it to them as Creed backhanded Laura into a wall, cracking her skull. The two Summers boys kept him at bay while the rest of the team got there, Logan on the edge of a total berserk breakdown when he laid eyes on Creed. The scales tipped against him when he caught a whiff of the massive bastard. The team cleared away as Logan lost it completely, leaving Creed as little more than a puddle when he got done. He was panting and drooling, claws still out, itching to kill when Laura woke up. Jean was in shock.

"What happened?" she asked as Laura sat up.

"He smells like K." Laura said tersely. "And sex." The rest of the team realized the implications and Jean asked Laura to lead the way, seeing as Logan was unreachable. But as she tried to pass him, Logan snarled at her.

"I will deal with her." he snarled, the rest of the team shocked as Logan stalked off in search of his wife. He had no sympathy when he found her crying on her side, the blood dried all across her face and body where he'd beaten her and between her legs. She was a straight up mess, but she was also untied.

"Get up." he growled at her. She sat up slowly, not speaking until he roughly grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet, a fresh wave of pain hitting her as she tried to balance upright, fresh bruises blooming on her arm. She didn't look at him as she tried to cover herself, shaking violently. He pushed her forward, tears streaming down her face as he did. When they reached the team, they were horrified.

She looked as if she'd been doing nothing but bleed and heal for weeks, her hair was a giant tangle as she hugged herself, hunched over. The only clean part of her was the tear streaks on her cheeks. The team as a whole couldn't understand why Logan seemed so cold and angry while his wife stood before him, clearly having been abused for the past few weeks, probably non stop.

Mentally, Jean asked Logan if K was alright while Storm removed her cape to wrap around her. He just glared at Jean in response. As K sidestepped passed the pile of bloody gore that was Creed, she spit at it, a fresh wave of tears hitting her as Jean led her out of there, K acting nothing like herself. Mentally she was numb, unable to express anything but grief and heartbreak. Hank took her into his care, K clutching herself to him, burying her face in his soft blue fur. He was taken back by her reaction and felt the need to protect her, while at the same time, not understanding why Logan was so detached. Hank sedated his wrecked patient, and Jean waited until she was out before turning to Logan.

"What the hell's wrong with you? She's a mess! He raped her, you have to see that. Even without your senses, anyone can see that. You're supposed to be her husband. Take care of her." she hissed at him. Logan stared back at her.

"He didn't rape her." he said quietly. Jean was horrified as she shook her head.

"No, she'd never -"

"She did." he said stony faced as he stared back at Jean.

"No." Jean said, unwilling to accept it.

"Jean, she's been feeling guilty for weeks. I've felt it. She was terrified at first, but she's been feeling guilty since practically the first day. Got worse this morning." he told her.

"And how is she now?" Jean asked. Logan shook his head.

"I don't care." he said, hurt in his voice.

"Yes you do, Logan. Let me find out what happened before you give up on her." Jean begged him.

"Please." Her pleading was too much for him. He closed his eyes, though he didn't want to admit it, he was desperate to know why she'd do this to him. Storm joined in Jeans pleas.

"She loves you so deeply, Logan. Please don't turn your back until you know if she's done something wrong. She is crushed, can't you see that? She had plans." Storm said, tears in her eyes.

"What plans, 'Ro? What plans did she have that she didn't talk to me about?" he was angry.

"She was going to ask you for another child." Storm said, sitting upright like the queen she was. "She wanted to give you a son." Logan's face fell, his anger slipping away like water. He was hurt, but he was certain Creed didn't rape her. IF she wanted his child, why did she screw Creed? That would have been the stupidest thing she could have … oh no. Realization hit him like a truck.

"Hank, I need you to do me a favor." Logan said suddenly, turning to Jean and Storm.

"You're sure she wanted another baby?" he asked, his eyes narrowed. Storm met his glare with her own as she nodded. Jean looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Of course, you jackass! Why do you think she's so crushed?" Jean told him, wanting to put a mind whammy on him so badly at this moment, and deciding that if he hurt her, that's exactly what he'd have coming. He sat next to his battered wife a moment looking over her to Hank.

"She needs a pregnancy test." Logan told him. "And if it's positive, a DNA test too." He rested his hand on K's dirty fingers. There were smudges and lots of blood around her wedding rings. More so than other places on her hands. He gently took her hand in his now, looking at the rings, debating on removing them.

"Don't you dare." Jean hissed. He could see flames flickering in her eyes.

"Careful, Jeannie. Don't want to start something that ends up bad for you." he growled, turning back to his wife's hand. He gingerly made to remove the rings, when her hand clamped shut tightly, even though she was drugged and unconscious. He couldn't pry her fingers open. He sighed, finally leaning forward and kissing her forehead, whispering to her.

"You got one chance to convince me." he said to her sleeping form.


	25. Clean Up

They'd packed up the bloody mess previously known as Victor Creed. Scott had insisted on it. Logan wanted to set him on fire. As detestable as he was, Scott told him they needed to find out how Creed was even breathing. They restrained him in a manner similar to what Creed had done to Logan at the Weapon X facility. More or less hogtied, with gauntlets that stopped him using his claws should he break free, a muzzle, and Logan's addition, a collar eerily similar to the one that K was wearing when they found her. Complete with C4 ready to blow should his heart stop or Logan choose to press the proper button. He'd been reluctant to tell anything to anyone, insisting he speak to Logan only.

Logan stalked in, looking furious.

"Hey Runt. Hows my girl doin'?" Creed taunted, as Logan's uncontrollable growl echoed the walls of the cell designed to hold Logan should they ever need it.

"She ain't your girl. She's my wife." Logan snarled.

"Right. Well, she sure knows how to move for a man." he purred, clearly goading him. Logan's eyes flashed.

"How the fuck would you know." Logan growled out. Creed chuckled.

"Hate to break it to ya, runt, but what we did was purely consensual. I didn't have to force her. Hell, she rode me like a goddamned racehorse." he purred out. "Best piece of ass I've had in years."

Logan couldn't feel anything. His entire body went numb. As much as he was sure Creed was lying, he couldn't smell it on him, and his descriptions of how she moved as he continued to talk were accurate. She'd screwed him willingly. Logan walked out disgusted as Creed grinned at his retreating back. How could she?

…...

K woke up with her head pounding. She turned to find herself cleaned up, in a hospital gown and tied down covered in lacerations, bruises and bandages. She didn't struggle or call out. She barely moved. She could hear the little machines that Henry always had running in the background, so she knew where she was, even though the curtain was drawn tightly around her gurney. She saw no reason to celebrate her return to the mansion. Dejected, she turned her head again, shocked to see Logan sitting next to her, stony faced.

He looked up to Hank, waving for him to come over. Not a word was spoken as tears began to slip silently down her cheek. When Hank came he brought an ultrasound machine with him. She just turned her head away from the screen as the good doctor got started. K was sure Logan was through with her. She felt guilty as hell. The self blame from having gone through another rape turned coerced/forced month long sexcapade with no support throughout had her mistrusting everyone.

She had a family before - she was a wife and mother – something she never thought would happen, and now she felt as if she was nothing. She was alone again and the one she loved clearly despised her. As her stress level rose, so did her heart rate to the point it was interfering with Hanks' tests. He turned to her, resting his hand on hers.

"You have to relax, my dear. Not all hope is lost." Hank told her in his most gentle tone, Logan still stoic as K began to shake. Taking pity on her, Hank rose to retrieve some medication for her, pushing up her sleeve and giving her a sedative. She didn't try to recoil from it, that inaction in itself concerning the good doctor. He thought he'd used just enough to calm her, but her eyes rolling in her head had him wondering. Her healing factor should have been counteracting the medication.

Logan watched her until she quit shaking. He was angry, but still prayed for a miracle. The test could be wrong. She could have gotten pregnant and lost it … the test had to be wrong. He never thought he'd be praying for Hank to be mistaken, or for K to lose another baby. But he sure as hell was now. Not that it really made a difference - if Creed was telling the truth. His attention locked on the screen as the baby's heartbeat echoed through the lab. Hank looked grim at first then turned to Logan smiling as he finished his measurements.

"There's your baby, my friend." Hank told him, Logan looked disgusted.

"Very funny, Henry." he said as he removed his wedding ring, dropping it on her lap.

"Logan WAIT." Hank called out as Logan turned to leave. "I'm not joking. I will do an amniocentesis to confirm, but by the development I see, this child is already too old to have been conceived by Creed. The pregnancy is nearly two months in. She's only been gone a month." Logan stared at her.

"When she wakes up, we're gonna need some privacy, Henry." Logan said, his voice still cold.

"Surely you're not going to use this against her. She had no choice in what happened to her. We don't know how he tortured her." Henry argued, rallying in K's defense long before knowing what had happened in her absence.

"You will leave when she wakes up. Am I clear?" Logan said, his eyes flashing. Hank drew himself up, towering over his friend.

"I will not permit you to degrade or demean her." Hank growled back. "She's been through too much. She hasn't spoken a word. Clearly, she isn't stable." The two of them refused to back down. Both thinking themselves in the right as the growls between them turned to snarls.

K had started to stir, her medication ebbing just enough now to start to take in her surroundings, albeit fuzzy. The rising growls roused her. She didn't know why they were fighting, but she couldn't put much thought to it.

The image of the baby she carried was frozen on the screen. Her heart broke as she saw it. While Logan and Hank came to blows, K wiggled her hand free from the restraints. She felt nothing but anger and betrayal through the bond she still shared with Logan.

Hell, he was fighting with one of his best friends. No, she'd already caused too much trouble for him and everyone else there. She pressed her fist to the side of her neck right before she popped her claws.

Both men froze as the * snikt * rang out, precisely as Jean rushed through the door shouting at K to stop. Her claws retracted on their own as her arm fell limp and her head fell back, blood pouring from her self inflicted wounds. Pushing Hank out of his way, Logan ran to her, more crushed now than he was when he was thinking she'd willingly step out on him with Creed, his hands were shaking as surely as if he'd done it to her himself.

…...

Jean stayed by K's side, her hands on the sides of K's head, concentrating. Logan now occupied a gurney across the room from her, Strapped down as tightly as she was, sedated deeply with both drugs and Jean's hypnotic suggestion. He'd melted down completely when she flat lined. Hank, still angry with how he'd reacted to her when she was awake snapped, beating him mercilessly with Logan not raising a hand to defend himself.

It was lucky that Celia was there to step in to attend to K while Jean tried to pull Hank off him. Things had devolved much better than even Creed had hoped. He had planned that K would be crushed mentally, then he planned to kill the little girl and turn Logan against K, who would have little options to do anything but join him, even if it was reluctantly.

He'd take her from him yet, use her until he was bored and sell her to whoever needed an adamantium laced feral. Jean had heard Creed's line of thinking when he'd stitched himself up significantly and decided that she would get to the bottom of this while the couple lay unconscious, Hank grudgingly caring for Logan after he finished bandaging and stitching on K, vexed as to why she wasn't healing.

…...

Jean walked into Creed's cell.

"You will tell me what you did to her." she said, fire flashing in her eyes again. Creed chuckled.

"Why, you wanna ride too, Red?" He leered, expecting her to get angry. He didn't realize how angry she already was.

"I won't ask again. What did you do to her?" Jean growled out.

"Maybe you should ask what she did to me – tells better that way."

"Have it your way." Jean said coldly before invading his mind as violently as she could, wading through his twisted fantasies to find the memories of the past month that he'd used K. She was furious at what she found there.

When Jean exited his mind she'd had enough. She completely wiped him. When she was done he was no better than a vegetable, drooling as he lay on his side, hogtied on the floor.

She made her way to Logan, insisting that Hank wake him immediately. When he groggily opened his eyes, he was slurring his words badly.

"Focus Logan. I will show you what happened, but you have to tell me first – are you going to honor your vows?" Jean asked as tears spilled over his eyes.

"She don't want me if she'd screw him." he mumbled. Jean placed her hands on his temples, leaning down enough to look at him levelly before showing him everything. It took little time for her to relay all of Creed's memories to him of not only the events, but the planning that took place. She took it a step further when she projected to him K's memories of the events.

The violent rape that kicked it all off – K fighting him with all she had to no avail, the torture, the threats, the drugs, Birdy's manipulation of K's mind, 'Logan' rescuing her then taking her to a secluded area to have sex with her.

The feeling of something being off shoved to the back of her head when she couldn't smell him – or anything else. The feeling that this wasn't lovemaking as they always did, the lack of connection there. A part of her brain had suspected lies, but the combination of the telepath and the drugs and who knows what else had her unable to string two coherent thoughts together, effectively turning her into a receptacle for his use.

Creed hadn't lied. She had willingly slept with him – however, he'd omitted that she truly believed that he was Logan. The day of her rescue, he came to her with a pregnancy test, asking her to use it. She quietly did, coming back to him smiling sheepishly. He grinned hugely and asked her to ride him. She thought the request was strange, the wording something Logan never used, but didn't deny him. As he was close, the telepath dropped the illusion, K blinked as she realized where she was, and who was in her, panicking as Creed's breathing got very rough. She fought to pull away from him but he held her tightly as he finished up, K frantically trying to get away. When he was through, he gently rolled her over as she shook, horrified. He laid down next to her, K in a daze as he leaned toward her and kissed her forehead tenderly, thanking her for the month worth of pleasuring him and telling her how satisfying it was to know that his child was growing within her.

He left her only after letting her know that when Logan found out and rejected her that she could always come to him, assuring her that he'd take care of her as long as she spread her legs for him. He left her crying and broken, the shock of what she'd done hitting her so hard she couldn't breathe. Logan found her not long afterward. His reaction to her apparent betrayal was all it took to send her over the precarious edge she was balanced on. He hadn't asked her what happened, assuming the worst of her.

When Jean finished with him Logan wanted nothing more than to fix it all. The only problem was that Jean didn't know if K would be able to process him as someone being for or against her, his rejection had been clear.

"She's pregnant, Jeannie." Logan said, tears in his eyes. Jean nodded.

"That doesn't mean you need to leave her." Jean said, still angry.

"No, Jeannie. It's mine." Jean stared at him.

"Are you sure?"

"That's what Hank said. He said he'd do another test to be sure, but timing wise, should be mine. He didn't get to her until after she was already pregnant."

The lab was silent, save for the beeping equipment and Hank working.

"He had her tested before this started. How did they miss it?" Jean asked staring at her friend as she lay freshly cleaned up again with new bandages and tied up impossibly tightly in an effort to keep her from harming herself should she wake up lucid.

"It's entirely possible that the hormone levels in her system were simply not high enough at the time of the test." Hank said, examining Logan roughly.

"You gonna let me up now, Hank?" Logan asked, looking apologetic. Hank narrowed his eyes at him before looking back at K.

"Are you planning on trying anything monumentally stupid?" Hank asked. Logan just shook his head, looking down.

"I think I already did all the stupid I can today." he replied quietly. Hank nodded in agreement.

"She's not healing Logan. I don't know why. My tests can't determine the cause." Hank told him, arms crossed. "If she doesn't start to improve, you should think about making your peace with her. One false move and those stitches will pop." Logan couldn't speak. He'd considered himself to be the cause of several deaths of the women he loved. Never anything like this though. Hank began to untie Logan, who immediately asked if he'd seen his wedding ring. Hank pulled it from his lab coat.

"It was in a pool of her blood. Don't put it back on unless you intend to stand by her." Hank warned, a growl in his voice. Logan didn't hesitate as he slipped it back on. He sat next to her, and it took a while before he pulled up the nerve to reach out and hold her hand, absently stroking it with his thumb. When she woke up, hours later when her sedation wore off, he'd finally fallen asleep, his head on her knee. She was confused. He didn't want her, so why was he here? Hell, why was she here? Her neck burned where she'd cut herself. She tried to pull her hand out again, no luck. When Logan stirred she froze like a scared rabbit, her heart pounding. He looked up at her, pity and apologies on his face.

"I'm sorry darlin'." he said clearly, "I'm an idiot." She narrowed her eyes as she continued to hold her breath. She was having a problem deciphering if it was him or not. She flinched when he reached for her face, fear in her eyes.

"If you don't believe it's me, smell me. I won't touch you again until you believe me." he said. She studied him for a moment then nodded minutely, looking at his shoulder, avoiding his eyes. He stood up and leaned over her so she could get a good angle to smell his neck. She leaned close without touching him inhaling deeply, and shaking her head slightly as she tried to process.

"Convinced yet?" Logan asked. She loved the way he smelled, and he expected her to look more relaxed or at least open to talking to him. The last thing he expected was for her to wrinkle her brow like that. "K? Honey, what's wrong?" he asked, worry now etched on his face.

"I can't smell you." she said quietly, distrust clear in her voice. "I can't smell anything." The drugs were gone from her system, so the reasons that Logan and Jean could find for her to be unable to use her senses was a mystery. Logan called for Hank, who K seemed to trust much more than him at this moment. He didn't blame her. He did a quick exam of her, pulling a blanket up around her neck after, as she felt cold to his touch. He sighed as he sat on her bed with her, resting his hand on her knee.

"My friend, you are without your abilities." Hank said quietly. Her eyes flicked up to meet his. "The only explanation I can garner is an inhibitor of some sort, but I don't know how that's possible without a collar. I would like to take a scan of you, but you must promise me to not attempt any further self harm. I simply won't allow you to injure yourself any further than you have." She stared at him silently for several minutes before she quietly agreed. Hank got up and returned a few moments later with a pair of bracelets that he snapped on her as her hands came out of the restraints. She looked at him questioningly.

"To keep you from using your claws. It's not wise to use them until your abilities are to your full disposal, and frankly, I don't trust that you wouldn't try to harm yourself at this point." Hank said honestly. She tightened her mouth, nodding grimly.

"I wouldn't trust me either." she said quietly, her eyes flicking to Logan as she swung off the bed away from him, Hank leading her to the machine, laying her down and covering her stomach with a lead apron.

"To protect the baby." he said. K turned green.

"You don't have to. I'm not keeping it." she said, leaning her head back.

"Yes, well, we need to talk about that. The child's parentage is not what you think." Hank informed her. K's eyes flicked across to Logan, looking him over as Hank told her all he knew. She looked cold still.

"Don't know that that changes much, Hank." K replied after his explanation. Logan staring at the ground now. If he wanted his family back, he'd damn sure have to work for it, and do it fast. The scans Hank took were inconclusive.

"The metal in your skeleton is obscuring my view. If there is some implanted cause, they were smart enough to put it near your bones to hide it." He said, squinting at the scans on screen.

"What about a simple x-ray?" Celia suggested. "We could start at the most likely places." And so it began. They x-rayed all the places that seemed most likely with no luck. Celia moved on to other areas of her body, still no luck.

"We really should be careful of the baby." Hank murmured. Celia looked sad as K stared off into space while they worked. None of their tests had shown anything new. It was Logan that had an inspired idea that started off looking very bad.

"You need to do her hand again." Logan said suddenly, standing and walking toward them. Hank started to protest when Logan picked up her left hand and removed her rings, kissing the spot where her wedding band had just sat. "I'll put these back on in a minute." he told her, deadly serious. She squinted at him.

"Don't bother." she said coldly, turning away from him. A few minutes later Hank returned to her with a scalpel, smiling.

"You do know it's kind of scary when people in lab coats come at you smiling while intending to cut you open?" K said, looking at Hank doubtfully. He set the instrument down and laid a drape across her lap, putting her hand on it and then starting to clean her hand thoroughly with betadine.

"Your short tempered husband was correct. They hid an inhibitor chip right next to your phalange under your wedding rings." he gave her a local anesthetic, waiting for her hand to numb up. "I will remove it forthwith and your abilities should come right back." he finished. She nodded with a sigh. When he raised the scalpel to cut into her, she turned her head. Normally she would have looked to Logan for something like this, but she had taken his initial rejection to heart. She didn't think his judgement was misplaced either. She felt responsible. She should have followed her gut, should have known something was wrong when she couldn't smell him. So much she let slip and she didn't understand why she didn't stop it.

She healed up slowly at first, then gaining speed and by the end of the hour, she was back to herself, physically. She changed and Jean took her up to see her daughter for a teary reunion. Once Abbey saw her, there was no putting her down. She'd missed her mother terribly. She carried Abbey toward the boathouse, the little one only letting go of her once they were inside. Logan had followed and opened the door for her as they went. When Abbey finally let go of K, K moved to pull out a bag, tossing in her clothes.

"What are you doing?" Logan asked, alarmed.

"Moving out." She replied calmly. He could feel himself losing his family before his eyes.

"No. Don't." he nearly whispered, stepping in front of her. "Please don't. Give me a chance." She had no warmth in her eyes when she met his pleading blues.

"I won't stay where I'm not wanted." she told him. He grabbed her arms as she made to step around him.

"You are wanted here, damnit. I intend to uphold my vows, I expect you to do the same." He told her, his scent finally hitting her as he stood close. She closed her eyes, taking it in, letting his warmth wash over her and the effect it had on her took her totally off guard. She started to cry as she realized how long it had been since she'd been held by him. He pulled her close, K fighting him at first, but stopping when he finally got his arms around her. She clutched to him tightly as she fell totally apart.

Abbey toddled her way over to them, sitting at their feet. She didn't know why Mom was so upset, but she was really glad that Daddy was there to try to fix it. When K had started to calm down a bit, Abbey began pulling on their pants legs. Logan dipped down and picked her up, resting her on his hip, the little one turning toward her mother, hugging her. Logan kept a hold on his girls. When Abbey patted her mother and straightened up, she pushed her mother's head to face her father. K looked down.

"No baby. No kisses right now." K said, a shake to her voice even as Abbey was getting upset. Logan let go of K's waist and slid his hand into her hair, tipping her face to his and leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead.

That was not the kiss Abbey wanted to see. She tried to get her to kiss him again. Logan kissed her cheek. Third try with Abbey getting rough, K finally leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Abbey clapped and pushed again for more. K couldn't help but crack a weary smile as Logan waited for K to initiate.

By the fourth or fifth peck, he extended the contact, K closed her eyes finally relaxing into him. That's the one Abbey wanted to see. Before her eyes opened, he kissed her again, parting her lips gently and caressing her head in his hand, tipping her head so he could deepen the kiss just a hair. Her grip on his shirt loosened up as he gently tasted her lips, K slowly reciprocating until her hand had slid onto his neck. He slowly let Abbey slide onto the bed, his free hand now at her waist, pulling her close. She slid her other hand onto his chest, her eyes opening as she pulled her head back to look at him. His heart was racing. She looked to her hand on him as he watched her, praying she was going to give him a chance. She licked her lips and kept her eyes downcast.

"You're heart's beating awfully fast. If that's happening all the time, I'd talk to Hank." she said, her weak attempt at a joke.

"Only happens when I'm with you." he replied. When she returned his stare she realized he had the same calm confidence there as when he'd first kissed her.


	26. In the Name of Science

K had been honestly scared to let Logan touch her or get too close. She had a niggling doubt in the back of her head as to the intent behind his actions. Private sessions with Charles had not proved as helpful as she'd hoped, her progress very slow to her during the three weeks as she waited to see if the baby inside her was going to be staying or not. Hank had said that it was Logan's but she had her doubts.

"I don't want this thing in me one more second, Logan. It's not right." she argued one afternoon. She was sitting on the bed, she'd been crying earlier in the day and he'd been trying to get her to calm down.

"What if it ends up being mine? You really want to just kill it and find out later? Just wait until the test is done." He said roughly, picking Abbey up so they could head up to the mansion. He reminded her today was the day as he stood up, offering her his hand. When faced with the reality, she simply fell backwards, laying on the bed as she stared at the ceiling. Rethinking the approach he'd been using all through this fiasco, he laid down next to her, his hand on her stomach as Abbey crawled up by her head.

"You lose your damn mind, woman?" he asked as she stared at the ceiling.

"Yeah. I think so." she replied, turning to face him. "This is so wrong. All of it. We shouldn't be having to deal with this horse shit. Shouldn't be thinking of …" she cut short, getting rid of the pregnancy is what she meant to say, but the words …. just didn't want to come.

"I'm tellin' ya, you don't need to think about getting rid of anything." he insisted. "You'll see." he told her, leaning to her to kiss her. She returned it, hopeful that he'd just agree with her by noon so that she could go take care of this already. She was tired of having Creed hanging over her head. A few hours later Hank and Celia double teamed her with the amnio. K had requested she not know anything about the fetus until she knew for sure it's father's identity. They prepared her for the test, surprising K by giving her an inhibitor before numbing her up.

Logan took her hand and watched her face as Celia approached. When she looked up at her she realized why. She couldn't remember ever seeing a needle that big. She closed her eyes as they used the ultrasound, not paying attention when Celia got up to get a second needle. They continued the test, drawing a tiny bit of fluid from around the baby. She kept her eyes closed the entire time, unwilling to give herself fresh nightmare fuel. Hank promised that she'd have the results by the end of the day.

Grinning as he held the tubes of fluid, Celia and Logan helped her to settle in just before Logan kissed her and headed to class. Celia's instructions were that she was not to do anything after the test for a few hours. Even with K's healing taken into account, Celia insisted – as Logan had requested – that she be watched carefully.

They still didn't trust her, the bracelets that kept her from popping her claws were still on her wrists, Logan sure that she'd pop them into her womb if given half the chance. He was right, of course. She was napping when Hank came to her with the news, unable to make himself wait until Logan was out of class, clearly the results were good in Hanks' eyes.

"Your results are back, and I know you have no desire to wait a moment longer than necessary. Keeping that in mind, there are some things we need to discuss. First and foremost – you are carrying twins that belong to your husband." she stared at him in disbelief as a grin began to appear on his face. "A boy and a girl. Both are healthy. Now, please tell me that you are no longer entertaining the notion of terminating the pregnancy." Hank said gently, his furry hand resting on hers. She stared at him still.

"K, did you hear me?" he asked, still no reaction on her face.

"Did you say twins?" she said quietly, Hank nodding with a huge grin. "Are you sure both are Logan's?" she was in shock as he nodded, smiling.

"On my honor, yes. You are now the mother of three of Logan's children." She felt dizzy.

"Holy shit." she whispered. Hank laughing at her.

"Indeed." he replied, smiling.

…...

Logan had been sent out on a mission while K was stuck in the lab 'recovering'. When he got back, K was asleep snuggled up with Abbey in their bed at the boathouse. He didn't want to wake her – sleep had come so hard for her lately. He didn't know if the test had gone the way he wanted, but couldn't resist spooning her as she slept. He was pleased that when she felt him curl around her she picked up her head just enough for him to steal a kiss before she snuggled back into him.

For the first time since her return, she didn't flinch or panic when his arm closed around her, holding her close to him. He was irritated when he was called in for another quick run before she and Abbey got up. He dressed quickly leaving K a note on the dresser and gently kissing both his girls before running up to the mansion. When he saw Hank was on the mission too, he thought he'd get a reprieve.

"I'm sorry, my friend. She swore me to secrecy. You'll just have to wait until we get back." Hank told him. Logan's temper was growing very short.

"Just tell me if it's mine, damnit. I don't care about the rest of it." Logan growled out. Hank sighed.

"Yes, I can tell you that much, but you already know – I told you before." Hank replied, grinning to himself. Logan sighed heavily before clapping Hank on the shoulder.

"That's all I needed to know." Logan said, dropping heavily next to Scott in the copilots seat.

When he got back, he was in a rush. He was digging through the box full of spare parts for his Harley. The mission earlier had gone a bit sour and he was taking his afternoon off in the garage. His scoot needed some attention, particularly after one of the older students 'borrowed' it on a dare. K came into the garage, leaning on the saddle of her Harley, watching him. He kissed her in passing, still searching and very distracted.

"So, do you want to see the pictures?" K asked as Logan hurried around, getting irritated that he couldn't lay his hands on the elusive hunk of chrome that he'd taken off for a repair a few weeks earlier.

"Yeah, just gimmie a minute. I gotta find that damn battery cover." he replied distracted, soon rushing to the tool cabinet. Maybe he set it there for safe keeping.

"I'm guessing Hank told you you're the father?" K asked, a pause from the bench where he was now searching.

"Yeah, beat it out of him. Don't be hard on him." Logan replied. K looked to her feet as she wondered how long she could drag this out.

"So, this is a good thing, right?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, just hang on, darlin'." He answered, drawers slamming as he got frustrated, moving to the top shelf of the cabinet. K frowned. There was little she could do short of stripping down naked to grab his attention now that Hank had spilled the part that he cared about most.

"Would you be more excited if I told you there were two?" K said very quietly, not sure that she wanted to tell him while he was busy anyhow. The shelf gave way, dropping half it's contents on him as he flinched at hearing her question, showering him in heavy chunks of various car and motorcycle parts, dropping a starter on his foot. He leapt back on one foot, staring at her.

He rushed over his hand out for the pictures which K promptly put into his hand, folded over as it was the first time. He stared at the blurry pictures, flipping through them.

"Oh, and Hank's test checked out a whole lot of things. They're healthy, and you get one of each. Boy and Girl, so … there ya go." she finished at just over a whisper, her hair falling over one half of her face. He grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet and kissing her deeply.

"You just keep surprising me, woman." he said with a grin.

"Me? Hell, this was all _you_, mister. I had nothing to do with it." She replied as he chuckled into her hair while he hugged her.

. …...

Her therapy seemed to work a bit better once she learned that the life – lives she protected were the work of her husband. Charles had to interrupt her train of thought however as she stared off into space during one of their sessions. She'd gone beyond trying to figure out Creed to reflecting on all the experiences of her lifetime.

"K, what are you thinking of so hard?" he asked her. She looked at him thoughtfully.

"How I got here. It's just, I never thought that I – am I attractive?" she asked him. Charles was taken back by the unexpected question.

"Why do you ask?" he queried, taken by surprise. Vanity was not something K was known for.

"My whole life, men have chased me. I can't begin to tell you how many men have approached me or propositioned me. More than I care to remember have tried to force themselves on me." she said thoughtfully. "I don't think that I'm all that special to look at. So – what is it? Is there something else or is the world crazy?" she asked, waiting for Charles' response. He considered her, looking at her carefully when Gambit knocked, letting himself in.

"Bon jour, K, Professor." he said smoothly, "The kids dey back from Cyclops' test. What you need Remy to do now?"

"Perhaps you can help us with a question. K was wondering if she's attractive. She doesn't seem think so." Gambit looked at her with a grin. This was the kind of question he felt particularly good at answering.

"Vous êtes belle, Tu es très sexy." his eyes wandered her figure openly. "An' somtin' else, it's a je ne sais quois. Can't put my finger on it. Draws a man in though." he said, eyebrows scrunching.

"I'm pregnant, Remy." K said flatly in disbelief that he had given her the eye so openly. He nodded.

"Dat just add to it right now, petit. Curves more full in all de right places." Remy purred out, giving her a wink, disappearing before K could throw something at him.

"Remy's teasing aside, you may be onto something, my dear," Charles said quietly.

He decided to have a chat with Hank, see if there was a chance there was anything to what K had to say, and other ferals in general. He had the sneaking suspicion that there was more to it.

Hank got to work on Charles' theory immediately, contacting a few of the Avengers that had spent some time with K or Logan, trying to see if they all had the same reactions. He was shocked when it was Banner that was convinced he knew the answer seemingly right off the bat.

"Pheromones." Banner told him when Hank had him come to talk one morning. "Most ferals seem to have some level of pheromone manipulation. Daken, for instance, does it consciously but in the case of Wolverine and his wife, I think they just naturally exude a high concentration. Haven't you noticed the number of women that Logan draws? He's not doing anything but being himself – and that alone should be enough to drive them away, but they can't get enough of him. And K?" he shook his head slowly. "I can still see her in my head the day she stopped the Hulk. Her hair looked like Betty's, and he didn't want to hurt her because of that, but the woman herself … I don't know - draws it's like a siren song. She just draws men to her. She's got the looks - you'd be blind to not see that she's a beautiful woman, but they can't help themselves when you factor in the chemical component."

Banner had barely slowed down as he worked while he relayed his hypothesis to Hank. It sounded to him as if it held water. Certainly he'd assumed in the past that Logan had a subconscious effect on the women around him. If this was true in K's life as well, it would certainly explain the disproportionate amount of unwanted attention she had garnered in life.

A feral male would welcome nearly any female attention, where a female would only want the men that they were attracted to, not any man with the ability to get an erection. It would also explain why there were so few female ferals. Life was simply too damned hard on them. If they were raised in a traditional female role, they'd be prone to remain as slim as possible - generally not giving them anything muscle wise to protect themselves. Paired with high concentrations of pheromones drawing predatory men in, they'd be a walking target for sexual abuses. He decided to find a willing female participant and test his theory.

…...

It was perhaps lucky that Paige had chosen to do a work study with Dr. McCoy this semester. She was a pretty girl, but one that didn't have the best luck with men. When she discovered that he'd be conducting an informal experiment on pheromones, she was more than willing to volunteer. K thought they were nuts, but agreed to participate.

She took some of Paige's clean clothes and slept in them as per Hank's instructions. Paige, in turn came down to K and Logan's to change into the slept in clothes the next morning. The results were nearly immediate. Paige didn't change her behavior, but the men and older boys in the mansion began following her around.

Those that were already interested became bold, borderline aggressive in some cases. K listened to her reports of how strange things had gotten lately, Paige wide eyed at the reactions she'd been receiving. She was most surprised that nearly every male teacher had at the least watched her more closely, the only exception being Logan, who clearly scented her out as she walked past then gave her a dirty look, rubbing his nose. Hank called Logan down to ask him about it. When he walked in the lab, he glared at Paige.

"Logan, your reaction to Paige has been far more negative than anyone else today. Care to explain?" Hank asked. Logan turned his glare to Hank.

"What the hell are you two tryin' ta pull?" Logan asked, clearly irritated.

"It's an experiment. We're trying to determine if K's pheromones are the cause of so much unwanted male attention." Hank explained.

"What the hell else would it be?" Logan griped. "She hasn't done a damn thing to draw attention to herself but every guy capable of getting' hard keeps chasin' after her like a piece o' tail." He was nearly growling. "Only time they leave her be is when I'm with her." he barked out. "Take a goddamned shower, Guthrie! Yer pissin' me off. Your scent don't blend with K's." Logan turned on his heel, stalking out of the lab, when Hank asked what his trouble was he growled out 'headache' as he made off to find his wife.

Hank was thunderstruck. Why didn't he look at the facts as they stood sooner? When she was with Logan, no one approached her. When she was alone, it was primitive male behavior – trying to capture another male's female. Logan's presence or even his pheromones must counteract whatever it is that K puts out, and likely vice-verse.

Suddenly he thought of all the mornings that the two were together, even long after the honeymoon, Logan kissing her neck, nipping at her, and K returning the attention in kind. They didn't know it, but they were likely marking each other.

A chemical warning sign for members of the opposite sex to stay back. Hank was taken back as he began to think about how far back this must have been going on. He himself found an attraction toward the young woman when she first came in. It wasn't until after Logan had taken her into the woods to remove the collar that Hank had decided to not attempt to persue her.

She hadn't talked about her times away from Logan except to say that she was miserable and combative when she'd been guarding Stark, ready to kill him should he cross her. It would still be weeks, however, before Hank would discover that the one thing that settled their mutual headaches and irritation from their bond was when they'd drink in each others scents, little kisses and caresses settling them out with little endorphin releases.

When they knew they'd be apart, both of them had secretly stashed a piece of clothing that the other had worn simply so they could smell it. They were effectively addicted to each other.

The month that K was missing with Sabretooth was increasingly miserable for Logan. Not just because the object of his affection was gone, but also that little chemical release he'd been so used to was missing.

By the time they'd left to look for her, he was unbearable for all but Abbey to be around. To make matters worse, when he found her stinking of Creed and not herself it just enraged him beyond reason. He needed her to smell like herself, not another alpha male. Thankfully, the human portion in greater control of his system overrode the primal urges in his brain to kill her for her perceived infidelity, instead simply reclaiming her as his once the betrayal was proven to be something forced.

When Hank had finally made his discoveries, he put his findings in a very secure, offline file in the professor's care. No good would come from others knowing how to manipulate another bonded pair, if there was such a thing.

…...

While Hank was doing his research, K and Logan were making slow progress towards repairing the rift that Creed had torn between them. Logan had let it go almost entirely after Jean had shown him the incredible level of manipulation Creed had to put into place to subdue her.

He kept telling her that most people, himself included would not have needed such a massive effort at deception – any one of the methods used would likely have proven effective under stress. She couldn't forgive herself though.

She was moping in the barn, surly as hell before her riding class when Jubilee showed up early. She watched K warily. She hadn't been any fun at all since the team had pulled her and brought her home.

She was short with her students, and incredibly hard on them, demanding perfection. No one was passing her class with more than a C+, not even those that were proving themselves to be natural talents in the saddle. It was worse than combat class when Wolvie had a score to settle, demanding perfection from all involved.

"Hi K." Jubilee said quietly, pulling out her assigned tack to clean before class started. It wasn't necessary, but she didn't feel that she could engage a conversation with her anymore without an excuse to be there.

K hardly acknowledged her. The students knew something bad had happened to her. Jubilee had just recently gotten Kitty to spill the big picture and Jubilee knew that K needed someone to talk to. It's what K had taught her after all. She took a deep breath, drawing up all her courage.

"You know, we all love you. You need to talk to someone about what happened." Jubilee blurted out. K stopped what she was doing, straightening her back but not turning toward her. "It had to be horrible." Jubilee said quietly as K set the brush in her hand down gingerly.

"I was drugged the whole time, Jubes." K said clearly. Jube's eyes widened – she didn't expect her to actually say anything about it. "I was drugged senseless with who knows what, and had an inhibitor in so I couldn't smell him." K continued, a shake to her voice. "He had a telepath helping him." Jubilee just stared at her, horrified at the many directions this could go. She didn't expect her to start crying though. She rushed over to her, K nearly unintelligible when she looked at her teary eyed, deep grief on her face as Jubilee tried to console her.

"I thought he was Logan." she whispered. Jubilee blanched white, freezing as she realized what K was telling her as she curled in on herself. It was just then, when K's flannel caught in the wind that Jubilee saw K was pregnant too, the bump for the twins making itself known much quicker than Abbey did. She wanted to throw up.

"Is … is the baby..." Jubilee said shakily, unable to continue. K wiped her eyes as she gathered her voice back enough to answer her, shaking her head.

"Logan's – twins, actually." K said to Jubilee's relief. She didn't know what to say so she simply gave K a hug suddenly, the two tiny women clutching to each other, K was shaking. Jubilee knew the misery of at least some of what she'd been through.

"But K," Jubilee said quietly into her hair "there was nothing you could do. He tricked you. Lied to you – drugged you. It's not your fault." K shook her head.

"I should have fought him. I should have known when I couldn't smell him. I should have tried to stop him." Jubilee shook her head before getting firm with her.

"NO. No. If this is your fault, then those guys at the rave was my fault. And I know it wasn't my fault." Jubilee told her, completely sure of herself.

"But I didn't just not fight, I participated." K said. Jubilee had had enough. She slapped her hard across the face.

"IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT!" Jubilee roared at her, K in shock that the little firecracker had struck her. It was laughable.

"Jubes!" Logan's voice echoed through the barn. He'd heard a fair share of the conversation. "She don't need anyone hitting her." he looked livid. K started to laugh, both Logan and Jubilee looking at her now as if she'd totally cracked for good this time.

It started out quiet, subdued and before long she had tears running down her face, her stomach hurting as she laughed, gasping for breath. Logan turned to Jubes, telling her to let Scott and the other kids know that riding class was canceled today.

She ran off leaving the two of them alone in the barn, K leaning on a saddle stand heavily one arm across her stomach as she tried to remain upright, laughing hard, her cheeks hurting and she still wanted to cry. He went to her, pulling over a bale of hay and sitting down with her, his arm around her as she leaned into him, in pain from laughing so hard.

"Sweetheart, I'll get Jeannie for you." Logan said, wondering what the hell he was going to do with three kids by himself when they locked K up. K waved it off as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Oh god. I am so incredibly stupid!" she shouted, waves of laughter starting to ease up. "Oh, I hurt. Ow ... damnit." she said, still chuckling as she stretched away from the stitch in her side. "She's right. You're right. Everyone here is right but me. And I am so terribly wrong." she said, her smile fading as she stared at the hay on the floor. "I've been feeling guilty because I was tricked. I was mad because I was cheated out of a month with you for the worst damn company a girl could ask for." she said, looking to him as he tried to keep from smiling. "Now I'm just mad that I can't change it." she said looking out of the barn, shaking her head. "I had sex with that asshole for a month thinking that you just turned into a shitty lay all of a sudden." Logan laughed in spite of himself, kissing her on the side of the head.

"Nice to know I'm not a shitty lay. Very reassuring. Sweetheart, you really are a little crazy." he told her as she finally cried laughing into his shoulder.

"How can you forgive me when I can't forgive myself?" K asked after they'd held each other for a bit. He kissed her on the temple, his eyes closed.

"Nothin' to forgive. You didn't do anything wrong. Creed and Birdy hit you with a grade A heavy duty severe mind fuck." Logan said softly, stroking her hair.

"Do you still want me?" she asked very quietly. "I mean, for more than an incubator. Do you want _me_?"

"Darlin', I've been tryin' to keep my hands to myself since we got you back. Somethin's gonna give. I been sleepin' next to you for a damn month tryin' to not push you into anything, but damnit woman. Only so much a man can handle." he growled out. He stunned her into silence. She was honestly surprised that he wanted her in that manner. "Hey, he's done this before – not this bad, but it's over with. I didn't forget then how I felt, and I had to _watch_. Why would that change now? I love you. Promised you my heart, body and soul, and you promised me the same. The vows said til death – beyond too, far as I'm concerned. Both of us are still breathin', right?" he said, raising one eyebrow. She nodded sheepishly. "So what's the question? You are my woman." She bit her bottom lip as she stared at his mouth. "Mother of my children too. That's a big deal, darlin'."

"So even if I am a total mess like I am now, eyes puffy and red. Hair a disaster. Pregnant and cracked -"

"There's not a reasonable way to show you just how much I want you."

"Really?" she asked. He leveled his gaze, kissing her with passion, conviction and no small amount of heat. Before she realized it, he was peeling her clothes from her, reclaiming her and marking her thoroughly.


	27. Extended Family?

When the stresses over her 'ordeal' started to ebb, K was not surprised to find the nausea and dizziness that had been plaguing her had not. She continued to talk with Charles quite regularly – both of them concerned at how her long term mental state would remain after such a thorough manipulation. Neither knew if her depression stemmed from the incident or her hormones. In either case, she refused to take the bracelets off that kept her from using her claws. It was that action on her part that led Charles to his conclusion that at least some of her memories from her abduction should be altered. He was surprised to hear the different reactions between K and Logan at his suggestion.

"You can do that? Yes …. YES. Anything you want! Please?" K said, a look of relief on her face at the idea that some if not all that had been torturing her could just change or disappear.

"Charlie, how can you even suggest that?" Logan was horrified. He didn't want Charles changing anything. It wasn't that he didn't want K to come back to herself. It was that once things began getting tampered with, it was a slippery slope.

"Not the whole event, Logan. She does need to remember it, but perhaps gloss over the worst. Make it fuzzy, no alteration to make her think something else happened, just make it easier for her to sleep at night." K's hand squeezed Logan's suddenly as she looked at him pleadingly for him to get onboard. He wished there was a way to make it easier, so that she wasn't so depressed, but this had him on edge.

"She will know everything that went on, but her outlook on it will be altered." Charles told him. "I actually would like to _add_ to what she knows now." K was the one shaking her head now.

"I know way more than I want to as is." she said grimly. Charles smiled at her kindly as Jean let herself in and made her way over to sit next to K.

"Just relax a little. I need to show you something." Jean told her, K's eyes widening as she leaned back against Logan, who gently took her hands in his as Jean reached out to K's temples. Green eyes met brown and a warmth like a gently crashing wave washed over her as Jean slipped into K's mind. She flitted through the dark parts of K's memories, adding in the insight that she'd gained from Creed – filling in the holes in the story that K was too drugged to remember, breaking up the illusion that Birdy had put in just enough that K could understand now how they'd gotten her to cooperate. She also decided to add in for good measure just how upset Logan had been when she was gone, and how even though Abbey would only relax for him enough to fall asleep at night, how much she cried in her father's arms as she did fall asleep, missing her mother terribly. Jean knew how much K needed to see that. She felt disposable and a reminder of how much at least those two wanted and needed her would prove vital to how well K would heal. She also showed her Logan's reaction when she'd tried to kill herself. She thought that knowing that would be deterrent to her ever entertaining that thought again, especially when she knew how angry he was at her at the time she attempted it. Even though he was, in reality ready to leave her, the idea of her dying was unthinkable to him. When she was done, and had retreated from K's head, it took a few minutes for K to wake up. When she did, she was leaned against her husband's chest, his arms around her, holding her gently. She took a slow deep breath as her eyes fluttered open, turning toward him as she sat up. He looked so worried when their eyes met. Then she kissed him, her hands on the sides of his head, deep, loving and passionate. When he opened his eyes again, the sparkle was back in hers. Whatever Jean had done, he hoped it would last. He was surprised then when Jean walked over to him next.

"What are you doin' Jeannie? You already showed me what happened." he said as Jean raised her hands to him.

"Yes, but I could only show you the passive memories of it. You need to see how she felt – how your reactions effected her. It's important. You were blocking it out when it happened." Jean told him. He felt guilty immediately, but nodded in agreement, resigned to the fact that he'd soon see how his temper had hurt her. She really only showed him one thing. The crushing rejection. She was broken when Creed had left her naked and bloody, but he needed to see that even so, she could have likely bounced back from that with some support. It was his rejection that had done her in. This was why she had kept the neural disruption bracelets on – she didn't trust herself with her claws and the overwhelming depression. Entertaining the idea of death was a hard thing to simply forget. She was afraid she'd try something in a moment of weakness. When she was done showing Logan that his actions had consequences to those he loves, she took a moment to speak with him privately before leaving his mind, telling him what she had shown K.

"_I wouldn't be surprised if she truly begins to act like herself very soon. She needed to see that you loved her even when you were livid beyond words. I had to show her because you couldn't. You could only try to make up for it. Now, she knows."_

When she left his mind, K was looking at her hands, unsure of what to do with herself. After all Jean showed him, he felt guilty and wanted to start working to make it up to her. He wanted to fix it, like all men are prone to do.

Charles decided now was as good a time as any to let them know what they'd hypothesized about Hank's research involving the two of them. Neither was terribly surprised, though K took it as just another thing to tip to her bad luck. Logan wasn't sure how to handle the information until Charles gave him something to get sick over in the future as he finished their talk, directing his concerns to K.

"You should know, for the sake of little Abbey and her sister how your pheromones have caused you such unwanted attention. You aren't crazy, it's apparently the downside to being a feral for a woman. They will need to be prepared when they come of age, should they too prove to be feral, though I would be surprised if they weren't." Charles finished. Logan shook his head, not sure what to say. He couldn't have been happier when K actually teased him.

"So ... apparently you _do_ mark your territory." K said with a smirk.

"You do too, K." Charles interjected. K grimaced a little.

"Yeah, but my presence doesn't scare the cripes out of people." she said, squeezing Logan's leg. He leaned forward and kissed her temple. Jean laughed.

"About that? Yes, you do." Jean replied. "Logan, when was the last time a woman tried to pick you up?" He scrunched up his face as he thought about it.

"To be honest, I don't know. If they were flirtin' I wasn't payin' attention." he answered, his arm around his wife. K smiled to herself as she looked to the ground. She didn't buy it, but it made her feel a little better about her standing in life.

…...

Hank smiled warmly when K came to the lab for her baby appointment with Celia, making his way to her to give her a hug. Her tests today showed all was well, though she was not gaining weight as quickly as Celia wanted her to, especially in light of how the last pregnancy dragged her down. In spite of that, she was growing fast. Everyone was trying to make sure she was eating enough, and she continued to ignore most of them, opting instead for whatever she and Logan chose to nibble on. When Chloe and Zoe heard from Jubilee that she was having twins, the sisters started baking, leaving packages of muffins and cookies on Logan and K's doorstep. The gesture was sweet, but it made K feel as though the word around the house was that she was anorexic. Logan let the girls in one morning when they'd brought down a basket of muffins they'd made for K while he took Abbey to the living room to play. K stared at them over her coffee, gesturing for them to have a seat. She refused to eat one unless they had some with her. Hopefully this would stem the flow a little if she made them join her – both of the girls were obsessed with their weight. However, this backfired on her pretty sorely. Over the next few weeks, they decided to make a regular thing of it, Jubilee joining them after a few days. Logan got irritated when Jubilee sat waiting for him to answer the door with the girls for the third day in a row. He thought he'd made himself clear the first day she showed with them.

"Just let yourself in Jubes. Jesus, you got a goddamned key. What the hell're you makin me get up for?" he grumped, sitting down between his wife and daughter, going back to his coffee. The girls swarmed the table, handing out their goodies. Jubilee set one down in front of Logan as he took a drink.

"You too, mister."she told him with a grin. Logan glared at her. He really wasn't in the mood for this.

"Yeah, we're all having some together, love." K said as she elbowed him. He'd encouraged this after all. That tipped the scales.

"You girls are going to have to cut this back. Once a week. That's it." he growled. Their reaction was swift and united.

"NO! We like coming to have breakfast with you guys!" Jubilee said "You said I could come by whenever I wanted!"

"We miss K! And we need to help keep her healthy … she got so sick last time and now it'll be twice as bad!" Chloe added.

"Yeah! You don't want her getting sick, right?" And Zoe rounded it out with a weak attempt at a guilt trip. Logan stared at the three of them flatly.

"Once a week with the baked garbage. That's it. You want her healthy? Bring her something other than sugar." He said, trying to stick to his guns. K smiled behind her mug. Yeah, he was a _real_ hardass with these girls. He was irritated with the girls _themselves_ and what did he do? Tried to ban their excuse while welcoming them to try more healthy routes. Swift thinkin' tough guy. He saw her smiling to herself and smirked as she met his eyes. She didn't have to say a word. He knew what she was thinking.

"You shut up." he growled at her, K raised her eyebrow in her act of innocence.

"I didn't say a word, love." she purred out. He started to shake his head when Zoe went and got the coffee pot, topping off K and Logan.

"There are advantages to having us around sometimes." she said, slightly scared as she tried her hardest to convince him into letting them stay. He sighed. They were trying to be nice. He was used to his quiet mornings with K and Abbey. Damnit.

"Not every morning." he grumbled as Jubilee broke out a huge grin. That was practically like just rolling over and giving up! She gave Zoe the thumbs up when Logan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't make me change my mind now, Jubilation." he said, eyes still closed.

"How do you _do_ that?!" she barked at him, Logan smirking to himself as K slid her hand down his arm to his hand, Logan slipping their fingers together.

…...

A few days later, the girls were met with a sight they would have rather not seen. When they got down to the boat house, Logan rounded the corner, blood up to his elbows and splattered across his shirt and the thighs of his jeans. A splash was also across his neck and part of his face.

"Mornin' girls." he growled out as he brought in a large chunk of meat. They had stopped in their tracks at the sight of him like that.

"What the hell did he do?" Zoe asked, eyes wide. Jubilee just shook her head.

"Looks like he's been hunting." she said quietly, breaking their ranks to follow him into the house, slightly reluctant to grab the bloody doorknob. When she got inside, the sisters tight on her tail, Logan was washing up, the piece of bloody meat rested on a cutting board in neat slices.

"Close the door, girls." Logan said over his shoulder as he finished scrubbing out the blood from his hands, turning to see them as they made their way to K and Abbey. Zoe couldn't take her eyes off the blood on his shirt as he leaned against the counter, drying his hands.

"What's with the bloodbath, Wolvie?" Jubilee asked.

"K had a craving." he replied simply as though she'd sent him out for ice cream. Their eyes drifted to K, who stood up and made her way to Logan, kissing him - blood splatters and all.

"Hey, not everyone wants pickles and chocolate." K said refilling her mug. "Besides, I need the protein."

"So you had Logan kill a deer?" Chloe asked. K shook her head.

"No, I had him get a bear." she replied "We have plenty of deer already." They looked horrified. Jubilee ran to the window, wide eyed when she saw what was left of the black bear hanging in the tree near the boat house.

"That guy was causing trouble anyhow. Broke into the barn and got in the grain last week." He informed her, still not having moved from the counter.

"Um … you have blood … on your everywhere." Zoe said, pale faced. Logan uncrossed his arms, looking down, and promptly left the kitchen, peeling off his shirt on the way to the bedroom. K smiled, watching him go. When he came back, he was all cleaned, showered and still buttoning up his shirt. When he got to K, he pulled her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her, not waiting for her to nuzzle him as he kissed her neck. Without putting a moments thought into it, she had her hands fisted in his hair as she nibbled at his neck, biting his ear, Abbey squealing and clapping until one of the girls cleared their throat. K opened her eyes, unable to pull herself from him just yet when Logan set straight the embarrassed party.

"If you don't want to see it, don't come down here." he growled, he was clearly enjoying what she was doing to him. K kissed her way to his chin before he slipped his hand into her hair and claimed her mouth.

"Oh my god, that's so gross! She's pregnant! What are you doing?" Chloe spit out as the couple ended their kiss.

"Yeah? How do you think she got that way?" he purred as he slid his hand up the back of K's shirt while she nuzzled into his neck, enjoying his scent.

"Oh, eew." Chloe mumbled, looking away and turning red. Logan gave K another kiss before deciding to make her a bite to eat. Chloe watched him as he started to cook.

"Is he any good … as a cook that is." she clarified, still disgusted at the notion of what happened during sex.

"He's good at everything he does." K answered, earning a smirk and a wink from him as he worked.

…...

Jean stopped her that morning as Logan carried Abbey to Charles' office.

"It's time you took those bracelets off, K." Jean told her. Logan's pace slowed to a crawl as he turned to look at the two women. He'd been waiting for K to do it, wondering what it was that was holding her back.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." K said quietly, her arms around herself as she backed away from Jean.

"Come on. You need to use them, right? If you don't it hurts more when you finally do, and you are _long_ overdue." she replied. K looked at Logan wide eyed, he just nodded silently. She was right. The longer she waited, the more it was going to hurt when she finally popped them. He couldn't remember going as long as K had without popping them at least once. She sighed and followed Jean. This would end up being a project for the med lab, where when she did pop them, no one would hear her if she started screaming. Hank greeted her with a warm welcome when they entered the lab.

"Ah, yes. Long past due – unless of course, you're still entertaining thoughts of the self destructive nature." he queried, taking her hand in his gently. K shook her head no and he grinned, patting her hand as he led her to his desk. She took a seat next to Jean and in a few moments, he had them off. She rubbed her wrists, a little nervous at the prospect of using them again, but before anyone could begin to prompt her, she let them fly, a searing tearing sensation ripping up her forearms as she did so. Her hands shook a moment as she held her breath, waiting for the pain to pass. When it did, she retracted, waited a moment and popped them again. Repeating the process until she could concentrate hard and slowly let them out to full extension, and retract them slowly and silently too.

"Feel better?" Jean asked. K was still rubbing her arms – the damage long healed but the muscle memory of the pain was there. K tightened her mouth in response, finally nodding once. It really did feel better to have some means of self defense back. Now, she'd have to find a way to get back to using them.

…...


	28. Nearly There

Over the next few months, Logan remained on active duty, though his activity with the Avengers pulled back significantly. If he and Fury had issues before, it was well beyond that now. K spent most of her time just trying to gain some weight, per doctors' orders. It wasn't an easy task for her. She wasn't really hungry, but when she was, she couldn't fit much in her. Nearly every afternoon she'd have tea with Jean and Charles while Abbey played nearby, favoring him. The little girl was becoming quite fond of him, and wanted to include him in her play. He cheerfully played along with her.

She had a month to go before Hank and Celia could relax – both highly concerned that K may go into preterm labor. She made it under the wire for Abbey, but they didn't expect her to last anywhere near full term with the twins anyhow. Her window of safety was small.

She felt like a land whale, her body image totally out the window whenever she caught a peek at her reflection. She was larger now than she was when she delivered Abbey, and she still had a solid month before Celia said it would be relatively safe for the babies to come. Charles was saddened when K told him tea would have to go on without her until after the babies were born. She was going into isolation mode, which worried Charles. She was so reluctant to ask for help when it was so clearly needed that her hiding and avoiding everyone just meant that if something did go wrong, it would be a while before anyone knew it. She'd started taking showers in the middle of the night after Abbey and Logan were asleep. It was quieter and she didn't feel rushed this way. When she stepped out of the shower, she glanced up at the mirror for the first time in months. Her eyes popped open when she realized how truly disproportionate her belly was right now. The skin sucked in near her hips before stretching out over her distended stomach.

"Oh god." she whispered, resting her hand on the top of her stomach. She looked awful. Skinny but hugely pregnant. Her legs had lost muscle, her collarbone again overly prominent. Ashamed of herself she snatched up the towel, wrapping it around herself quickly. She worried her lip wondering what the hell she'd need to do to get to looking like a normal pregnant woman. Eating wasn't doing it. Shit. Shit shit shit. Logan was up and waiting for her when she returned to bed, towel tightly around her. He watched her move, noticing for himself her already advanced state of, at any other time, what would be called weight loss.

"Darlin', come here." he said quietly. Her eyes met his, and she slowly made her way to him. He stood and took a hold of the towel. She covered his hands with hers, shaking her head. He kissed her, trying to reassure her as he opened her towel, his intention all along to look at her. "Oh, honey. I'm not takin' care of you well enough." he said sadly, running his hand down her side to rest on her hip, his other hand cradling her head as she shook it.

"I don't understand it. I'm eating like a damn horse, but I'm as skinny now as when we had Abbey. What the hell is wrong with me?" she said, distressed.

"Talk to Hank in the mornin'. He'll have some ideas, I'm sure." he replied as he sat her on the bed, urging her to climb in. "For now, you might as well just sleep if you can." he told her, striping off what little clothes he had left on, smiling as he slipped into bed behind her, pulling her close as he spooned her, kissing her shoulder and caressing her.

…...

Hank was pleased to see her the next day, happy that she'd actually come for help before she was beyond assistance.

"Ah, my dear girl. We need to examine your diet and adjust it. Hopefully it will be as simple as that." he smiled as they sat down to figure it out. An hour later, he'd decided that Logan would have to 'suck it up' was the professional term he used, and let the girls bring her whatever they thought might help her out. It wasn't an issue of healthy weight gain, she just needed raw calories. It seemed as though her healing ability was tearing through her nutrients like wild fire to counter act almost all of her pregnancy woes as they happened, using up her reserves nearly as fast as the growing babies within her, leaving K herself with little to nothing to work with. Same diet, but add calories and 'graze' all day. He even went so far as to prescribe for her to wake up in the night and grab a snack. She sighed, the idea of it all making her feel like a pig.

"You simply can't afford to not do this, K. Your body will turn on you if you don't. It's likely the reason you went into labor early last time – you were simply too thin to continue to sustain the pregnancy. You must try at the very least." he told her. She thanked him and started to slip off the gurney, Hank kicking off her new 'diet' by handing her one of his much cherished Twinkies that he kept in the lab.

"Raw caloric intake in the form of a luscious golden pastry." He grinned, K only agreeing to eating it when he got one of his own. It wasn't a hard sell. She wasn't going to say anything to the girls, deciding that she'd find a way to force herself into eating more without irritating Logan. She was not entirely surprised, however, when Hank made a point of joining her for lunch, using the opportunity to tell Logan his theory, including telling him to go ahead and let the girls bake to their heart's content – just loud enough and timed properly that Chloe, who was walking through the kitchen could hear and celebrate the good news by hugging both K and Logan, before she realized she'd hugged him, blushing bright red as she ducked her head down and scurried off. Fabulous. She was trying to retreat from people and now that would be next to impossible. The only pay off here was the look on both Logan and Chloe's faces right at this particular moment.

…...

Two weeks later, they had proof that Hanks' plan had worked as well as he could have hoped it would. K still looked too thin through her face and limbs, but she hadn't lost any more ground and her color was improved. It was still not shocking when Logan had to take her in early one morning when she started having labor pains.

"Well, my dear, you've earned yourself at least a few hours with me." Hank told her as he hooked up an IV. "You're very dehydrated, and frankly this is the quickest way to remedy it." She simply didn't fight it, closing her eyes as she laid her head down. Logan pulled up a chair as he kissed her.

"You don't need to stay, love." she said quietly. "I'm just laying here." He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Yeah, but you're miserable. I'll keep you company for a while." he said, earning a little smile from her. She was totally over being pregnant. She felt like a zombie. It seemed like all she did was sleep and eat and hurt. Their relative peace was interrupted when the trio of girls from their breakfast club came sneaking in the lab. They took one look at the couple and backed out. It didn't look like K was having her babies yet, and she and Logan were touching foreheads, Logan's hand in her hair, and hers on his arm. It almost looked like they were kissing from Jubilee's standpoint.

It took half the day, and three bags of saline before Hank would agree to let K leave. He also informed her that he'd be keeping a close eye on her and would bring her back down if she looked even the tiniest bit dehydrated again. She smiled weakly and kissed his cheek in thanks as she made her way to Charles' office where she knew she'd likely find Abbey.

…...

Abbey had found a new trick. It wasn't her trick, but it was a good one, and it was fun. Somehow, Charlie could talk to her so no one else could hear, and all she had to do was think about what she wanted to tell him. He was becoming her favorite person outside of mom & dad. Aunt Jeannie could do the same trick, but she wasn't as sneaky about it as Charlie was. She had a thought, but couldn't express it, the words not quite there in her young mind, but she felt like it was important. She toddled to Charlie until he picked her up and hugged her. She was happy to hug him, patting him. when she looked at him, she grabbed his face and wrinkled up her brow, her expression as serious as a one year old girl can get. She was worried about her mother, and none of Charlies' answers were good enough for her right now. _She's alright. She's on her way to get you now. Your little brother and sister are fine too. _Abbey narrowed her eyes as she considered him before simply snuggling up. This was how K found her when she walked in a few minutes later.

"She's worried about you." Charles told K as she closed the door behind her. K walked up to the two of them, squatting down next to Charles so she could look Abbey in the face easier.

"You don't need to worry, vacker flicka. One way or another, I'll be fine." she told her, the little one smiling up at her in response. Abbey sat up and reached for Charles' face again, once again giving him a serious look. K wrinkled her brows as she watched them.

"Does she do that a lot?" K asked, not having seen this particular behavior yet.

"Yes, more frequently too. She discovered that we can communicate, a few days ago, but she believes she needs to look me in the eye to do so." he smiled, paying attention to the little one before him. Suddenly, Abbey leaned forward and gave him a kiss before slipping down and going to her mother. K didn't ask any questions as she picked up the girl and they started to head out.

"K, please take it easy. Abbey isn't the only one concerned. I don't have to tell you Logan is fit to be tied." Charles told her. K nodded, and turned toward Charles so Abbey could wave as they left.

…...

K was making a point of lavishing Abbey with attention. She was concerned that the little one might feel neglected once the babies were born, so she tried to show her now how special she was. K had stood up to get something for the both of them to nibble on when Abbey chased after her, tripping over her own feet and smashing her little teeth through her lip on the floor. K tried to look at her lip as Abbey cried huge crocodile tears, then hugged her tightly, rubbing her back telling her she'd feel better soon. A minute or so later, she quit crying and sniffed as K pulled her back to look at her again, kissing her on the nose. Abbey wiped her mouth, looking at the blood with her brows smooshed up. K took her to the kitchen on her hip, Abbey clinging to her.

"Let me see it baby. I have to make sure you don't need stitches." K told her. Abbey squirmed but complied as K looked her over. It didn't go all the way through, and it was only barely bleeding, though it had bled enough that it was all over Abbey's teeth. She'd be fine, but it was going to swell and hurt. K took her to the freezer to let her choose a popsicle before the two of them made a snack. When Logan got in a few hours later and heard about Abbey's fall, he picked her up, cuddling her before he tried to take a look at it.

"Sweetheart, there's no cut here." he said as Abbey bit his finger.

"You're kidding. That isn't supposed to start up this quick, is it?" K asked, looking at her for herself. Logan just shrugged.

"No tellin'." he replied, vexed himself at the possibility of their little girl already healing quickly. "Maybe she'll have other abilities when she grows up." he reasoned. She'd have to ask Charles when they got together again.

It was serendipitous then that Charles had opted to begin taking tea with Jean and K at the boathouse. He'd missed her company – her outlook markedly different than the other residents of the institute. She just saw things from a different angle. Today, he arrived with Kurt as well – Abbey squealing in delight when she saw him.

"Poof! Poof!" Abbey squealed out as she ran on her tiptoes toward Kurt, arms outstretched. Jean giggled at them as Kurt bamfed around the room until Abbey had simply lost her balance, landing on her backside and belly laughing at him.

"Easy on the fire and brimstone, big guy." K said, waving away the scent as Kurt tossed Abbey in the air. Jean was helping K with the tea as they got situated.

"Sorry. I forget how sensitive you are to it, liebling." he grinned, Abbey yanking on his soft fur waiting for him to make funny faces at her, and melting into laughter as he complied, finally snuggling into his fur as he held her.

"Yeah, these kids aren't going to be spoiled at all." K said, shaking her head before turning to Charles. "Abbey's healing." she said with no lead in whatsoever.

"How?" he asked, K shaking her head and shrugging.

"Thought you might know. She busted her lip yesterday and in a couple hours it was gone." K informed him. "Logan had no ideas either. My healing didn't kick in until I was around ten or so."

"Fascinating. We may have to have Hank look her over. Why don't you take her with you tomorrow for your appointment? Hank will play a game with her while Celia does your monitoring." Charles offered. K thought about it a moment and nodded her head. It wouldn't hurt to know, and she now felt as though Hank wouldn't use the opportunity to treat them like lab rats. The group returned to their tea, enjoying each others company when K realized she hadn't seen Kitty in a while.

"Is Kitty around? I can't remember the last time we talked." K said suddenly, looking at Jean.

"Yes, but she and Piotr decided to take a break. They went for a road trip two days ago. I'm sure you'll see her when she gets back." Jean replied. K watched her for a moment after she'd answered. It seemed as though she was leaving something out.


	29. A New Cycle Begins

K woke from her nap to a familiar scent drifting on the air. She roused herself and made her way to the kitchen, Kitty was at the stove, pulling a pan from the oven.

"Oh, you're up! I was going to surprise you." she said with a grin, setting a massive pan of cinnamon rolls on the stove. K looked at her strangely for a moment.

"Is that my recipe?" she asked. Kitty blushed.

"You don't mind do you? I kind of copied it from your cottage." she admitted. K shook her head and made for the coffee pot, starting up a new pot.

"No, sounds good, actually. Just need some fresh coffee to go with it." K replied. Kitty was watching her nervously as she measured the grounds. "So, Katherine. Where have you been outside of my cottage?" K asked, turning to face the nervous young woman. Kitty grinned in response.

"I didn't actually _go_ to your cottage. I was in Chicago, seeing my mother. It's been a long time – too long, honestly. She's coming to visit in a few months." Kitty replied. K scrunched her nose as she watched Kitty pull a bowl from the cabinet to mix up some frosting for the rolls.

"And …." K said, moving across the kitchen to take a seat, her back already killing her from the short time standing upright.

"And, you and I are going to spend a little time together while Pete talks with Logan." Kitty continued, blushing bright red. K tapped her fingers on the table watching Kitty smile to herself.

"Mmm hmm. Go on. Say it out loud. I wanna hear you say it." K said, grinning at her wickedly.

"I've already said yes, but since my dad is dead, and Logan's kind of like a father …." Kitty said, stopping to take a deep slow breath through her teeth as she bit her bottom lip. "I need to know if we can use your cottage for our wedding. It's just the prettiest little place. We want to do it in the fall, if that's alright." Kitty's heart was beating out of her chest as she bounced on her toes, her fingertips resting on the counter as she waited for K's answer.

"Absolutely not." K said stiffly, looking at her as if she'd lost her mind. Kitty's face fell.

"What? But, I thought … it's just so pretty there." Kitty said, totally crestfallen.

"No. You can't get married there. No way. There just isn't room for a crowd there, and the woods will be full of hunters." K told her, Kitty looking disappointed, but understanding of K's reasoning. K cocked her head to the side, looking up to her slowly.

"However, I would be tickled if you'd like to use it for your honeymoon." K told her, a sly smile on her face. "It's particularly excellent for _those_ activities. I recommend the stairs in particular. If you get around to looking over his shoulder, the view is spectacular." Her eyebrow raised as Kitty's mouth dropped, her cheeks turning the deepest shade of red.

"Oh my god." Kitty choked out, searching for the words. "The view … would be great. Thank you! Who thinks about the view when they're doing that?" the two women started laughing to themselves.

"I have no idea. To be honest, I forgot there was a lake there last time I was on the stairs." K said slowly. Kitty was flabbergasted, still shaking her head occasionally and looking over to K now and again, muttering 'oh my GOD' from time to time as she finished her baking.

Several hours later, Piotr and Logan came in, smelling strongly of whiskey and smoke, and looking rather somber. Kitty watched Logan, biting her lip again as she waited for his reaction. He narrowed his eyes at her before stalking to K and kissing her, more or less ignoring Kitty.

"Well? Did you two …. talk?" Kitty asked, watching Pete sway – clearly drunk.

"Yep." Logan replied, picking up Abbey from K's lap and nuzzling the giggling girl.

"And are we good to go?" Kitty asked, waiting expectantly.

"Half-pint, you're a grown woman. If he's gonna make you happy, you know damn well I'm behind ya." he told her, Kitty smiling and hugging him.

"Then _I_ have to ask you a question too, Wolvie." Kitty said, looking like a teenager suddenly. "Since my dad is gone, and you've always been there for me … would you give me away?" She asked, looking very nervous for a few seconds until Logan grinned at her, kissing her on the forehead.

"I'd be honored." he said quietly as Abbey wiggled to the ground. Kitty teared up, wrapping her arms around him and getting what was once a rare chuckle from him as the pair embraced. "I'm proud of you punkin'." Kitty was wiping away tears when the hug broke up. It wasn't long after when the betrothed left the boat house.

"So, what did you boys have to say that took an entire fifth to get through?" K asked him, smirking as she guessed at the answer.

"Oh, the talk went quick. He asked, I told him the same thing I just told her, and followed it up by making sure he knew that if he hurt her I'd kill him." Logan replied nonchalantly "then I just tried to get him sick." K laughed at him. That sounded about right. She got up and made her way to him, kissing him slowly, her hand on his neck. It looked like there was going to be a wedding. She was sure that the girls were going to have a field day planning this out.

…...

K sat up suddenly, her arm across her belly as her stomach clenched hard.

"Come on. It's not getting any better. Time to go." Logan told her. She'd been fighting him to leave for nearly an hour, sure that this was just another false alarm. She realized that wasn't the case when she smelled blood.

"I'm bleeding." she said quietly through gritted teeth. He didn't wait for her to stand, instead picking her up and carrying her out past Jean who had come to keep an eye on Abbey should she wake up. She'd just barely made it into the 35 week mark. One beyond where Celia had thought she would. Now she was in worse pain than she could remember. It hurt to breathe. They weren't quite to the front door when Kurt appeared and teleported them both to the lab. K was hurting too badly to pay attention to the dizziness she usually felt when Kurt teleported with her, already nauseous from the pain, the scent of brimstone didn't even phase her.

"Easy, mein freuline. Hank will help." he told her as Hank came to her side.

"She's bleedin'." Logan informed him as he helped try to get her as comfortable as possible. Without waiting any further, Hank examined her, finding that not only was she bleeding, but she wasn't nearly dilated enough to be in as much pain as she was. He rushed the ultrasound over, checking for heartbeats and finding both.

"We don't have time to wait for Celia. You need surgery. Right NOW." Hank said firmly as he slipped an inhibitor collar on her. K didn't argue. She found it was hard to argue when it hurt so badly that you can't breathe anymore. Logan and Kurt moved her to the surgical room, Logan sick to his stomach as they set her on the stainless steel table. Hank rushed over, medications and surgical equipment ready on a tray. He had her sit up and lean onto Logan while he administered a spinal, K trying hard not to scream or move while the needle found its way between two adamantium plated vertebra. She was shaking as Hank told Logan to lay her down. Her legs suddenly felt as if hot water had been poured into them, the sensation creeping up her body to her ribcage, alleviating the pain quickly. Hank tied her tightly to the table before quickly cutting into her, Kurt acting as his assistant. K's stress level had gone down initially, but slowly ratcheted back up as she felt the two men pulling at her insides. She was careful not to look anywhere near them, afraid that they might become the stuff of nightmares down the road. It didn't hurt, but the sensation of pressure as they pushed and pulled to remove the babies was unsettling. Logan was at her side, watching her carefully when Celia came in.

"What happened?" she said, alarmed as she dropped her coat and rushed to scrub in.

"Abruption." Hank replied as he pushed hard on her, the first baby making her way into the world. Celia took over on the little girl, rushing and fussing as she cleared the baby's airways and started down her newborn checklist. Within a few moments, her squeaky cries echoed in the sterile stainless room, settling down when she was wrapped up tightly. K's heart rate was slowly increasing with her nerves, but she was looking decidedly out of it, her eyes beginning to roll in her head. Another big push on her from Hank and he carried the little boy to join his sister with Celia, who had just wrapped up the girl, carrying her to her father. Little boy took more work on Celia's part. He was limp when she started on him, almost blue looking. He didn't want to breathe well on his own, but after a few minutes, he too cried out angrily as Celia cleaned him up.

"Hank." Logan said nervously, watching K's eyes close, her lips slightly parted and now with a decidedly pale tint. Hank looked up to Logan, his patient was bleeding too fast as he tried to finish up, not yet ready to remove the inhibitor until he'd finished trying to straighten out the mess K was, making sure that he'd left no instruments inside her. He rushed what he was doing and suddenly tore off a glove, removing the collar quickly and going back to watch that she was healing as quickly as she should.

…...

"Hey love." Logan purred to her as she stretched out. "You ready to meet your little ones?" he asked. She nodded as she opened her eyes, his incredibly peaceful smile knocking her for a loop. She sat up, nervous. Even with the testing Hank did, she was terrified to see a blonde haired baby. Before she had a chance to really think about it, Logan turned to her handing her a tiny bundle.

"Our daughter." he said as she took her from him, smiling at the little one in spite of herself.

"Hey tiny girl." K whispered at the sleeping infant. She was sporting the tiniest coat of black peach fuzz on her head, and looked nearly identical to her sister. Logan turned to her again, one eyebrow raised.

"And our son." he told her, K looking up at him, her heart racing as she tried to make a place for a second baby. She gasped when she saw him. There was no mistaking his father. The little guy had pitch black hair and a very tiny version of Logan's nose. "Poor kids' got no luck." he said, a smirk on his face as he watched her stare at the little boy. K started to cry, her hand covering her mouth tightly. He moved to sit next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed. "Darlin', you said you wanted him to look like me – you don't gotta cry about it now." he teased. She was shaking.

"You don't know how close I came … I almost -" she was breaking down thinking of how close she'd come to killing them before Hank and Logan pushed for the DNA tests. He shushed her, kissing her forehead.

"But you didn't. They're fine. You're fine. Everyone's alright. You took a few years off me, scarin' me like that, but we're all here. Abbey is pushing to see you too. So come on. You got what you wanted – ya cursed the poor boy into looking like me. Be happy about it." He said. She laughed a little in spite of herself, wiping the tears off her face. "Now, what do you wanna name them?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

…...

Logan kissed her tenderly when he heard her suggestions for names.

"Sweetheart, you don't have to do that." he said, touched at her gesture.

"I think it fits them. If you don't like either of them, you choose. I'm fine with whatever you'd like." she replied, nursing their son while the little girl slept in her father's arms, Abbey sitting between K's knees, watching the baby nurse. He let out a breath slowly. How did he end up with a woman like her? He nodded, his smile unable to leave his face.

"James and Rose it is, then." he said quietly, watching his little family, K nestled firmly as the heart of it.


End file.
